Bury Your Flames
by WeSeeSirens
Summary: Mikoto hated asking for help more than anything, but Anna's warning had been as clear as day. Should he fail to prevent Tatara's murder he too would perish, taking everything he ever loved down with him. Fate had provided him with a chance to change the future and as much as he hated to admit it, he knew he couldn't do it alone. Alternate-ending to the anime. Mikoto/Yata. ReiSaru.
1. Kinesis

**_AN: If you frequent AO3 then this might be familiar, I posted it on my AO3 account (my username on there is HOMRA) and it did a lot better than I expected so I figured I'd post it on here as well._ _Anyway, the setting for this is about halfway through K: Side Red and will follow the basics of the actual K plot without involving the same circumstances, obviously as that would be illegal and pointless. ;P_**

 ** _There will be mentions of past relationships, and one sided feelings. Not to mention some OOC moments, which will come with an explanation for them already written in the chapter. The main pairing for this is obviously MikotoxYata but there will be a few others as well._**

 **Full description from AO3:**

 ** _Mikoto hated asking for help more than anything, but Anna's warning had been as clear as day. Should he fail to prevent Tatara's murder he too would perish, taking everything he ever loved down with him. Fate had provided him with a chance to change the future and as much as he hated to admit it, he knew he couldn't do it alone. With some reluctance he enlists Reisi Munakata and Scepter 4 as his temporary allies, and the two clans work tirelessly to bring the Colorless King down before the night of Decemeber 7th._**

 ** _Through it all an unsuspecting party, Yata to be exact, teaches the Red King to not take everything he has for granted, and Mikoto slowly but surely comes to terms with his own demons. Both from from the past, and the alleged future._**

 **I don't own any of the characters used in this story, unfortunately.**

 _ **Hope you enjoy!**_

"You got a point there, Mikoto. Things have been surprisingly quiet lately," Izumo Kusanagi mumbled as he tirelessly cleaned the wine glass in his hand. It was late in the night and almost silent, for once, in the corner-store-turned-bar affectionately named HOMRA. The usual bustle of the city seemed far off and distant, not even the sound of passing cars echoed into the building, instead the only noises that could be heard were the sizzling of cigarette papers and the occasional glasses clinking together. Even the conversations were whispered, though they didn't need to be.

"Ah," Suoh Mikoto, the red King, exhaled. Smoke filled his corner in the room and with tired eyes he watched the cloud evaporate, leaving no trace of it's existence behind. "Where's Tatara?"

"He went out to meet up with Yata and Kamamoto, he said that before he left," Kusanagi answered with a frown as he set the glass in his hand down on the bar, leaning over the wood as he did so. "Don't you hear anything they say, Mikoto? You've got to stop sleeping so much, you're missing out on everything."

The glare the red King sent his way was enough to keep him silent, his friend had never been one to vocalize his every thought but his facial expression and actions seemed to speak for themselves. The bar owner couldn't help but see the King as transparent.

"I don't think I'm missing out on much," Mikoto spat with a small yawn as he tossed his burnt out cigarette into an awaiting ash tray, he then curled up on the couch. "Besides, it's like they don't know the meaning of being quiet."

"You can say that again," Kusanagi grunted as he returned to his work. Every now and again he glanced back at the sleeping man on the couch, a frown pulling on his lips as he wondered what the voice in the back of his head, the one that was telling him something was _wrong,_ meant. His King seemed to be his usual lazy self, but he couldn't deny the feeling that something was _off._

"Mikoto," Kusanagi called, loud enough to wake the man from his light sleep but not loud enough to startle him either, the red haired man let out a grunt of acknowledgment. "Are you all right?"

At this Mikoto finally stirred, pushing himself off of the couch he waltzed over to the bar, taking a seat in front of the clearly concerned bar tender. "That noticeable, huh?"

"Not at all, I'd like to think I know you better than anyone else so maybe it was just my intuition. No one else has said anything, if that's what you meant. You just don't seem like yourself," Kusanagi rambled as he grabbed a small glass and filled it with Fireball Whiskey, the King took it with a nod.

"Hm," he hummed after downing the cinnamon flavored contents, before any further conversation could take place a small set of feet appeared on the staircase, followed by almost silent footsteps. "Anna, why are you out of bed?" The little girl froze in her place about halfway down the stairs, she rubbed her eyes. They seemed to be slightly covered in liquid though it was hard to tell in the dark room. Mikoto stood from his spot and climbed the small distance to her, picking her up as he went back to the couch where Anna strangely curled up onto his lap.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Suoh asked as he looked down at the Strain who had become almost like a daughter to him. Red eyes met his own and it was then that the tears seemingly poured over, the minor shock that crossed his face was quickly tossed aside as he awkwardly consoled her- having no real idea on how to do such a thing- though she didn't seem to mind.

"Don't go, Mikoto..." she whispered, though it sounded more like a warning than anything. Kusanagi nearly dropped his glass.

"I'm not going anywhere Anna, what are you talking about?" Suoh whispered as he smoothed down the young girls ruffled hair, she clung to the bolo tie around his neck for dear life.

"You can't go, neither can Tatara..." the girl mumbled as she wrapped her arms around the older man's neck, securing herself onto his chest. Mikoto stiffened.

"Did you have that dream again?" He asked as he placed a palm on the small of her back, the girl feverishly nodded her head. "Are you sure it's not just a nightmare?"

"I've had it too many times for it to be anything but a vision," Anna corrected, "I'm scared, Mikoto. I've never had visions like this before, they're all so clear."

"Care to tell me what's going on here, Mikoto?" Kusanagi inquired as he left his station and sat on a chair parallel to the couch his King and Anna we're seated on. The red haired man shifted, scooping up the girl in his arms as he headed towards the stairs.

"I will, but let me get her to sleep first," the third King promised as he began his ascent, Anna still clinging onto him as if he might disappear should she relinquish her grasp. Once upstairs Mikoto traipsed into the open door of Anna's room, the small red and black bedroom was dark, save for a faint glow that emitted from a flickering candle light bulb.  
"Let's get you in bed, all right?"

Anna nodded her head, exhaustion clinging to her almost as tightly as she had clung to Mikoto. The King laid her down gently, pulling the black and white checkered blanket that draped over her bed on her as he tucked the small Strain in. Flame colored eyes refused to leave his own, though it was apparent she was having a hard time keeping them open.

"Sleep," Mikoto said blandly as he wiped away the hair from the little girl's forehead, she didn't even blink.

"Are you going to try and prevent it from coming true?" Anna asked quietly, her words sounding more like a plea then a question. _'Please don't let it come true',_ she thought to herself, too afraid and stubborn to say the words aloud. She had faith in Mikoto, she wouldn't be as attached to him as she was if she didn't; but growing so close to someone also meant you picked up on some of their traits. Anna's stubbornness was not natural but a learned behavior, one the third King himself had unconsciously given her.

"Is that what you want for me to do?" Mikoto asked as he turned and took a seat at the edge of the twin sized mattress. Small flashbacks of his own nightmare came to his head, the city laying in ruin while his injured and crumbling body burned around it. Standing in a crater of his own creation, alone, even without his familiar Sword of Damocles- the threat of it falling at any time already being fulfilled. He cursed under his breath, shaking the thought away, refusing to imagine life without the people he had somehow grown close too. Refusing to acknowledge the disaster-waiting-to happen that he was.

"They've never been wrong but they've never been this strong before either, maybe the universe wanted me to tell you to change the future." Anna stated with a yawn as she rolled over, facing away from her King- something extremely unlike her. "But I guess you'll do what you want to do anyway, right?"

The question took Mikoto by surprise, wiping away his usual disinterested face with a sharp wave of shock. He glanced back at Anna, who made no move to return the look, and wondered when she had gotten so sharped tongued. The sweet girl he brought up like she was his own had never been innocent per say, but she had also never been so blatant and downright _cold._ Mikoto found his fists clenching in frustration.

"Is that what you think? Why would you even ask if you thought I wouldn't listen to you?" He mumbled with a perplexed tone, eyes slipping shut as he shook away the reigns of sleep that threatened to drag him under, Anna didn't move.

"Because I wish you'd listen to me...to any of us...but you never do," she answered honestly as she took a deep breath, Mikoto's eyes snapped open before closing halfway.

"Is that so?" He asked rhetorically, his usual spark and wit crumbled in front of Anna. He was a shell of himself beside the Strain, knowing not only that she could see through the ruse but also that she wouldn't tolerate it either. It was almost an unspoken rule, how he acted around her anyway, but whenever they joined up with the rest of HOMRA and Mikoto's mask came back on she didn't mention it. Something he had never really thought about but was thankful for. Even Kusanagi and Tatara would give him hell if they ever saw a true glimpse of the red King's _soft_ side.

Anna never answered, leaving Mikoto alone and the only one in the room awake. Feeling no need to stay he quietly escaped out of the bedroom door, heading back down the stairs where loud chatter broke out and he made the deduction that the three HOMRA members who had went out earlier in the night had returned. _'So much for that chat, Kusanagi.'_ He thought to himself as he rounded the bend in the stairs before stepping foot into the lower level of the bar. _'So much for a quiet evening, too.'_

"I'm telling you Kusanagi-san, those guys were asking for it!" Yata exclaimed as he pressed a cold ice pack to his apparently busted lip, that and several scratches marking up his usually unscathed face. The bar owner rolled his eyes before pointing back at Mikoto who watched the exchange warily.

"Don't explain it to me, you answer to him after all," Kusanagi answered as he patted the skateboarder on the back. "He's all yours Mikoto, mainly because I don't have the patience to deal with this right now."

The third king smirked and made a grab for his smokes that laid on a table close to the couch Yata, Kamamoto, and Tatara occupied. Snapping his fingers, generating enough spark to ignite the tobacco, he glared at the trio through the smoke. Tatara appeared to be fine, not a mark ran up or down his body and instead of guilt his features sported _I told you so characteristics._ Something the red King found amusing.

Kamamoto refused to make eye contact with him, which irritated him to a point but not enough for him to mention it.

Yata on the other hand looked the definition of guilty. He was brave enough to look his King in the eye but not stupid enough to try and mask what he had done. His hands we're bloodied, cuts littering his knuckles and his usually pristine white shirt was crumbled, dark red stains littering it. His busted lip trembled slightly.

Mikoto pulled a chair out, sitting down directly across from his clansman as he continued to puff away at the cigarette that hung idly from his lips. Tatara cleared his throat, bringing all eyes in the room on him.

"I've already scolded them plenty," the eldest of the three exclaimed as he crossed his arms, "it kind of is my fault anyway."

"Oh?" Mikoto asked with a raised eyebrow, Tatara's eyes fell to the floor beneath them.

"Yeah, someone bumped into me when we we're walking and I said something under my breath and they overheard it so...it just kind of happened. You know I'm too passive to fight so Yata did it for me...Kamamoto only intervened when Yata got punched in the lip and then we left." He explained as he sat the camera he always carried down on the table, a dull thud echoed across the room.

"Why did you get so tore up, Yata? Aren't you quite the fighter?" Mikoto inquired as he kicked his feet up on the table, much to the displeasure of the bar owner who scoffed at the action. The fire King waved it off, quite literally.

"Well I didn't rely on my Aura, I guess I just wanted to see if I could still fight without it. Guess that was a mistake...but I thought I'd make a huge scene if I did use it and I wasn't ready to handle that." Yata cursed as he examined his own body, eyes scanning every single nick and bruise.

Mikoto didn't know why but no anger boiled within him. Sure, he was known for his violent tendencies himself but it wasn't like he always condoned when others he associated with acted out in the same way. Yata was a rare case. The spunky skateboarder had a fire burning so brightly in his soul that even Mikoto found it hard to look at, _'he's so much like I used to be',_ he thought to himself.

Mikoto wasn't exactly prepared to be a hypocrite and preach against unnecessary violence when it was the kind of _shit_ he lived for. He admired the fact Yata didn't rely on his borrowed power for help, though he wasn't fond of the idea of his clansmen getting unnecessarily injured either. All in all, everything that popped in Mikoto's head sounded like a contradiction and he knew better than to preach to the choir, Yata would listen but he would never truly _listen._

But that didn't mean he wouldn't toy with him for it.

"Yata," Mikoto began, his voice a tad bit lower than usual as his eyes slipped close momentarily before he snapped them open again. Their usual yellow hue illuminated a color completely opposite, a blood red that shone like tail lights in the barely lit room. Yata visibly stiffened. The others gulped.

"Mikoto-san I'm really sorry, I just didn't want those bastards to get away with what they said to Totsuka-san and you know I can't help the fact I'm a hot-head. Please don't be mad at me or Kamamoto, we're really s-"

"Enough," Mikoto cut off Yata's rambling with another wave of his hand, this time extinguishing his cigarette that he tossed into the ashtray with perfect, calculated aim. Yata and Kamamoto gulped while Tatara and Kusanagi exchanged concerned glances. "Let me finish talking next time, Yata."

"Sor-"

Mikoto's glare was enough to snap Yata's mouth shut once again.

"I was going to say I was proud of you but now I'm not so sure," the third king said with a smirk as his eyes slipped close, his body growing heavier with exhaustion though he did nothing in the day to make him feel such a way.

"Huh?" Was the collective response that sounded throughout the room, confusion laden voices only clued Mikoto in on what they speaker's faces must have looked like at the time. He widened his grin.

"You showed remarkable restraint, Yata. But next time, don't." The room became silent once again. Mikoto's eyes pried open as he stood from his chair, "I'd rather deal with Scepter 4 than lose a valuable clansman. You're lucky you weren't seriously injured."

"Mikoto?" Kusanagi called after the King as he began up the stairs, not looking back at the other members of HOMRA.

"I'm going to bed, have everyone here in the morning, early. We're having an emergency meeting," Mikoto replied, "also, you all are to spend the night here. No questions asked, no complaints either. That's an order."

If there was any confusion or perplexity that filled the room after that was said and done Mikoto wasn't around to hear or see it. Anna's words echoed numbly in the back of his mind as did the concern Kusanagi had clearly shown him when he was asked what was wrong. If Suoh was anyone else maybe he would've stayed awake and explained the situation to his lifelong friend, but he wasn't just anyone.

He was Mikoto Suoh, the red King, the very depiction of violence, rash thinking, and was someone who lacked a shred of emotion. At least, that's how everyone seemed to view him. He wondered if anyone even thought he was human at all, his mind raced as he threw himself down onto his cool mattress and hastily wrapped a blanket around him. He wished he couldn't feel anything but unfortunately human emotions we're still ever so present in the King's being.

He wondered if that, like everything else he thought or did, was selfish of him. It wasn't like he was unable of setting his feelings aside, no he did that all of the time, but was it right of him to do so? He couldn't say for certain either way, and with that thought he began to try and find out why he suddenly had the urge to examine every little thing he said or did. To say it was unlike him was a severe understatement.

Mikoto tried not to think about it anymore. The line between his emotions and his unreasonably short fuse was too thin to be crossed, even by himself. He wouldn't admit it aloud but he was very much afraid of Anna's predictions coming true, but he wasn't able to figure out if that was because everyone he knew was at risk or if it was because he didn't want to be viewed as an utter monster.

"Powers exist to protect, huh?"

If there was a truth to Tatara's words then Mikoto was still trying to figure it out. The red powers certainly didn't feel inviting, they definitely didn't feel anything but _warm,_ but what was warm to the red King was an inferno to everyone else. When, _when not if,_ he finally lost control of himself he would cause an incident mimicking that of the Kagutsu Crater.

Mikoto's own predecessor had caused destruction so widespread that 700,000 innocent people lost their lives, along with a vast majority of the then Scepter 4 and the former Blue King, Jin Habari. Mikoto could only wonder that when he finally did _blow up_ if Reisi Munakata would have the guile to kill him or if he would become just another statistic. Either way, Suoh couldn't care less.

"Does anyone else have a strange feeling that something's about to happen?" Kamamoto asked as he relaxed back into the couch, the air of nervousness having disintegrated after Mikoto left the room. Kusanagi was finishing up the nightly cleaning while Tatara helped him put the glasses on their racks, Yata on the other hand sat parallel to Kamamoto, hand clawing at the emblem on his chest.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," he grumbled under his breath, a light but unusual warmth radiated from his marking. "Do you think something is wrong with Mikoto-san?"

Izumo nearly dropped the glass in his hand, causing Tatara to give him a wary look.

"Nonsense, Yata-san! Mikoto-san would have told us if something was wrong," Kamamoto offered, Yata reached over and slapped him on the back of the head.

"You idiot! Clearly something _is_ wrong, it's not like him to order us to stay at the bar, and what's this emergency meeting about anyway?" Misaki hissed as he sat the ice pack down on his lap, wincing ever so slightly.

"Will you two be quiet? Do you really want to wake Mikoto up? Imagine how much worse he'd be if something actually is wrong." Izumo said with a heavy sigh, leaning against the bar for better support- his tired legs swaying, threatening to give out from under him. He urged himself to remain calm, like he always did, but inside he was a nervous wreck. Mikoto had a certain air to him, one that radiated nothing short of self confidence and ability, but lately that had begun to falter. He could only hope his King, his friend, would let the clan know what was bothering him so much.

"I don't like this feeling one bit," Yata mumbled under his breath, cursing silently as his busted lip began to ooze blood again. "I hope he's all right."

"We all do, Yata. King is a tough guy, I'm sure he will be all right no matter what the circumstances may be." Tatara offered weakly, though there was a hidden sliver of doubt behind his words.

"Yeah but since he's so tough it's odd to see him at such ends with himself," Misaki replied cautiously, "hopefully he'll give us some insight. If we knew what we were dealing with then he wouldn't feel the need to face it alone...because we wouldn't let him."

"How cute, Misaki." Kusanagi snorted as he turned off one of the neon signs that hung next to his bar, the vanguard leader sneered at him. "Go to bed, it's late. We need to start planning things for Anna's birthday but that can wait until tomorrow evening, maybe we can get Mikoto to take her out for awhile and give us some time to think. Until then there isn't much we can do, I don't think any of us will be able to think straight with all of this weighing down on our minds tonight."

"Yeah, I agree." Tatara called out as he waltzed out from behind the English imported bar, a yawn escaping his lips. "I'll see you all in the morning, I call dibs on the bed by the way!"

"What? No fair! I beat that guy's ass for you and this is how you repay me?" Yata hissed at the older man who smiled brightly before walking up the stairs towards the spare room. "Guess Kamamoto and I will just sleep in the rec room then, goodnight Kusanagi-san.

"Goodnight Yata," Izumo offered before repeating the sentiment to Kamamoto, who followed the vanguard up the stairs without any protest. As the bar keep turned the rest of the lights off in his pub he could only wonder what tomorrow would have in store for them. The emblem on his chest began to burn hotter than he had ever felt it burn before. Kusanagi frowned.

"What exactly is going on here, Mikoto?"

K-K-K-K

"Mikoto-san?"

Said man's eyes flew open, his conscious alerting him to his clansman's presence before he had even registered what was going on. Groaning, he propped himself up on his elbows, eyes meeting Yata's as he slowly shook off the last remnants of sleep that clung to him.

"Everyone is downstairs waiting for you, like you asked." Yata explained as he rubbed his hands together nervously, something the King raised a wary eyebrow at.

"Sit down," he commanded with a small yawn, motioning at the edge of his bed as he rested against the headboard. The vanguard leader cautiously did as instructed, his eyes not leaving his leader's once. "What's wrong?"

Misaki gulped, an uneasy expression crossing his features as he frantically racked his head for an explanation for his out of character behavior.

"Nothing, I'm just anxious to hear what you have to say," Yata lied through gritted teeth, both knowing the words were false but neither feeling the need to express that. Mikoto sighed.

"Is that all?" He quizzed, "I can tell when something's wrong with you."

The younger man dropped his gaze, taking a sudden interest in the dark red bed spread he was currently seated on, his busted lip shook slightly as he wound his hand up in the thick blanket. Suoh watched him quietly, not wanting to pressure the vanguard into spilling his guts, but Yata eventually broke the silence.

"I know you can, I can tell when something's wrong with you, too. I think you forget we _feel_ your emotions, Mikoto-san." The skateboarder explained as he turned to glance out of the window, the sunlight barely filtering into the room having just broke over the horizon. "I guess you could say that's whats bothering me so much."

"You don't need to worry about me," Mikoto promised as he swung his legs out of bed, running a hand through his disheveled hair as he shakily stood, one hand clutching the back board as if he didn't trust his own footing. "I can handle myself and all of us just fine, I thought you trusted me?"

"I do!" Yata said too quickly, his eagerness and anxiousness mixing into a irrational combination, the Red King spared him a glance. "I just wish you would let us know beforehand so we didn't have to worry about you as much."

Mikoto smirked.

"You're not the only one, believe me." He stated blandly, smoothing out a wrinkle in his white v-neck as he made a move towards the door, he waved at his clansman to follow him- which he did without a moments hesitation.

The bar was deadly silent, which only added to the impending sense of doom Mikoto had begun to feel boil under his skin. Taking the steps two at a time the King emerged, stepping into the crowded room where his clansmen watched him with perplexed eyes. He stuck his hands in his pockets, watching Yata take a seat at the bar with Kusanagi, who looked more concerned than ever. Mikoto wasn't sure why he felt unsure about standing in front of his people, but he chalked it up to not having prepared for such a moment.

For a second, he was at a loss for words.

"King?" Tatara asked, snapping the red haired man out of his revere. Eyes shifted from the speaker back to the only man standing, and it was then that Mikoto gained the courage to be blunt and get the meeting over with.

"Everyone listen up, I'm only going to say this once," he began, the room grew even quieter in return, something he didn't originally think was possible. "Anna has had some rather peculiar visions as of late and in order to prevent certain things from occurring we will be following some guidelines until the end of next week."

Small chatter broke out amongst the clan, some questioning what the King was speaking of while others groaned about having to follow rules, for once in their lifetimes. Mikoto caught Anna's glance, it was fleeting but held a weight too it, almost as if she was silently telling him to explain himself without beating around the bush. He wondered if he didn't say it if she would.

"Tatara, you're not too leave HOMRA without me, this includes going out front and going to the roof. Do I make myself clear?"

Confused glances were stolen amongst other members as all eyes fell on the groups cameraman, who in turn gawked at the king, completely oblivious of the danger he would soon be under.

"Can I at least know why, King? I know yesterday could have been a lot worse but I thought it was done an-"

"It's not about yesterday," Anna interrupted, answering Mikoto's earlier thought as to what her course of action would be should he neglect to give the clan the full story. Tatara frowned at her. "I had a vision that you were killed on the roof by a man claiming to be the Colorless King..."

The quiet in the bar was effectively shattered as an uproar of protest and questions began to pour out of the HOMRA member's mouths, even Mikoto had a hard time regaining the peace after such a statement was said. Which is why I was avoiding that in the first place, he thought to himself as he stole a glance at Anna.

"Mikoto you shouldn't leave either," she added quietly, causing the last of the whispers to disappear as the burning rage in the member's chests turned into curiosity. "If he truly is the Colorless King then your life is at risk, too."

"Anna I don't need you to tell me how to handle myself around another King," Mikoto answered with a sigh, "you see how Munakata and I are, I always come back in once piece, don't I?" Crimson eyes burned furiously back at him.

"Mikoto..." she whispered, hugging herself as she leaned back into the couch. "Are you really that naive?"

Suoh's eyes snapped wide open, his fists clenching as he took long strides towards her, HOMRA members moving out of his way as he did so. Anna refused to look up at him.

"What's gotten into you, huh?" He questioned, leaning down so he was on her eye level, still she refused to lock eyes with him. "You're acting like you're mad at me," he nearly spat, confusion and mild anger burning in his chest as his mind tried to place a moment in time he might have unintentionally upset the Strain. Not surprisingly, he couldn't think of anything.

Anna finally raised her head, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes as she leapt up to her feet, throwing herself into his unsuspecting arms. His glare softened after the initial shock wore off, no longer caring enough to keep up his facade as he hugged her back, worry flooded the smallest cracks in his mind as the Strain kept herself close to him.

"I don't want you to go," she cried out, all eyes falling on them as the other big secret they had been keeping filled the air. Mikoto exhaled loudly, placing his hands on her shoulders as he pushed her backwards enough so he could look her in the eyes. "Even if you managed to kill him you wouldn't survive...neither would we..." she sniffled, her new found cold demeanor shifting into something akin to what a normal girl her age should feel.

"Anna," the King stated, eyes glancing around the room briefly as he took in the shock that radiated off of his clansman's faces. "Go to your room for a bit so we can talk, okay? You don't need to hear all of this, you've seen enough."

"But Miko-"

"Go," he urged, spinning her on her heel as he placed a palm in the small of her back, gently pushing her towards the stairs. Leaving no room for any further protest. After her footsteps vanished the King rose to address HOMRA once again.

"As I was saying, Tatara you aren't allowed to go anywhere until further notice- not until we find this guy and figure out who we're dealing with. I...I guess I'll follow that rule myself. Everyone else is to be on high alert, anyone suspicious looking person who fits the description Anna has given me will be reported to Izumo or myself immediately. You are to stay away from this person by any means necessary."

"That's great and all Mikoto but can you elaborate on what Anna said about you? Don't tell me your Sword of Damocles is that fragile," Kusanagi interrupted, knowing without a doubt he was the only person in the room who could do so and get away with it, though the King looked anything but pleased.

"She dreamt that I caused a repeat of the Kagutsu Crater," he answered blandly, "apparently I'm in worse shape than I thought."

"At least your honest," Kusanagi answered in turn, cutting off any further words the HOMRA members might have had to say. "So let me get this straight, she dreamt Tatara was killed on the roof...so I'm assuming she saw you go out for revenge and then something happened and you got yourself killed."

"Ah," the King answered with a hint of a yawn, his body still feeling drained despite the large amount of time he spent asleep. _Maybe Anna has a point. How could I have been so blind to my own health?_

"To be more specific, I killed the Colorless King and my Sword of Damocles began to fall," he cleared up, reaching for his smokes- that Tatara handed to him. "It's needless to say that we will be taking every measure we can to prevent all of this from happening. I don't exactly feel like falling into fate's hands."

"How can you be so calm about this, Mikoto-san?" Yata yelled loudly, the silence in the bar becoming deafening as the vanguard lost his temper. "Tatara-san and you are at a huge risk of dying...hell we all are should Anna's vision come true. Preventive measures? Shouldn't we just look for the bastard so we can have him locked up somewhere? That's the only sure fire way to prevent any of this from happening."

"Yata that's a nice thought and all but do you really think yelling is going to help you get your point across?" Kusanagi seethed as he placed a hand to his temple, "besides, where on Earth are we going to find a place to lock away a King? There isn't a place on this planet he couldn't escape from."

An irritated scowl crossed Misaki's face before his eyes dropped to the floor beneath him.

"Maybe we should ask the Blue King to throw him in Scepter 4's prison, he could keep an eye on him after all." The vanguard's words were met with loud outcries of protest, some men asking how he could even consider bringing them into it, others reminding him it wasn't exactly his decision. Mikoto watched on silently. "Yeah, I know it's Mikoto-san's decision at the end of the day, but think about it. That bastard doesn't have anything better to do anyway, his peons do all of the dirty work."

"You've got a point," Mikoto said with a sigh, the thought of calling Munakata and asking for help irritating him to no end, but also making the most sense given the situation. "But what makes you think he's going to listen to me? We've never been on the best of terms, Yata."

"That may be true, but doesn't he consider you a friend?" Yata inquired, trying to hide the redness that surfaced on his cheeks at the attention he was getting from his fellow clan members. "I'm sure if anyone want's to be the cause of your demise it's probably him...that's how your _friendship_ seems anyway..."

"Mhm," Mikoto agreed as he took a hit off of his cigarette, his feet carrying him to the couch that was currently available. "But like hell do I want to ask him for a favor."

"It's not like we have many other options," Izumo offered dryly as he took a glass of water to the King, who nodded his head in appreciation. "Munakata could never be the end of you but as long as he thinks otherwise he might just want to keep you around, Mikoto." Kusanagi looked around the bar thoughtfully, "besides, he does see you as a friend of his, no matter how strange that is."

Suoh's smirk didn't go unnoticed.

"Well the man we are looking for is approximately Yata's age, white hair, with amber colored eyes. Anna made mention of seeing a parasol with him as well. Remember he is armed and I want you to view him as very dangerous, be on the lookout." Mikoto said blandly as he tossed his cigarette in an awaiting ash tray, his clansmen, minus a few, rose to their feet.

"Also, keep your cell phones with you and turned on at all times, we need to be able to get into contact with each one of you immediately should someone run across this guy." Kusanagi added, "Yata, Kamamoto," the two looked up at the bartender, "stay behind, would ya?"

HOMRA members filtered out of the room after that, the bustle, anger, and confusion of the revelation being the topic of discussion as they left the quaint bar named after their clan. Only Tatara, Yata, Kamamoto, and Kusanagi remained in front of the Red King, who's eyes were downcast to avoid the concerned glances he was sure he was receiving.

"Mikoto you trust my judgment, don't you?" Kusanagi asked with a smile, one the King looked up to see.

"Depends," he answered harshly, "what are you scheming about?"

"Nothing, I just thought that we could keep Kamamoto and Yata here as lookouts." Izumo responded hastily, his hands up in defensive of himself. "I don't think we can be too cautious from this point forward, we need to have as many eyes around here as we can."

"He has a point, King," Totsuka said with a frown as he took a seat close to Mikoto. "I don't really fancy dying and I don't want you to die because of me either."

"No one's going to die, Tatara." Suoh promised as he leaned back against the couch, "I'll be damned if that happens when I know I can easily prevent it. You just need to listen to me."

"But...Mikoto-san what if we can't prevent it from coming true?" Kamamoto asked nervously, the room turning silent as all eyes fell on the speaker.

"Idiot don't ask those kind of questions!" Yata seethed as he pinched his friend on the cheek, reprimanding him.

"No he has a point, Yata. At this time we can't say for certain that I won't die, Anna's vision could be unpreventable."

"If we can't prevent Tatara from getting killed then I will slay the Colorless King and ask Munakata to kill me before I cause mass spread destruction." Mikoto answered honestly as he reached for his water, ignoring the strain his body felt to be under.

"Why not let Munakata kill him if it comes down to that? Surely he could handle it, he's almost an even match for you." Kusanagi deducted as he ditched his post at the bar and took up a seat in front of the couch, motioning for Yata and Kamamoto to follow suit- which they did with some reluctance.

"Does that seem like something I'd be willing to do?" Suoh asked with a sigh, shaking his head softly at the mere suggestion. "I've never taken any action as King, if avenging my friend is the last thing I do then maybe that will atone for my lack of accomplishments in this life."

"King none of that is true," Tatara scolded as he turned to face the former, "you've done a lot with your life. You've given me and many other people a place to belong and call home. You've created a family, a place we can feel safe at an-"

"A place you can feel safe at? Coming from the man who allegedly will be killed right under my nose? On my turf too nonetheless..." Mikoto rolled his eyes, "cut the shit, Tatara. We all know I won't let Munakata handle my problems, he can have the pleasure of killing me after I kill that bastard."

"If any of this actually happens," Yata said, reminding everyone in the room that nothing was set in stone. "I think we have good chance of beating fate here, we have the upper hand since we know what's supposed to happen. I don't mind staying here if that means you both are safe..."

"Mikoto?" Anna appeared from the stairwell, eyes bleary and tired, feet carrying her swiftly to the King, who picked her up effortlessly and placed her in his lap. The young girl looked up at him thoughtfully. "Can I stay with you now?"

"Ah," he confirmed as he settled back into his spot, Anna leaning back against him. Yata and Tatara exchanged small smiles at the interaction.

"Well I think I'm going to go back to sleep, I'm quite exhausted," Totsuka said quietly as he hopped up to his feet, "later I need someone to get some film for me, I've been out since yesterday and it's apparent that I won't be able to get it myself."

"I can do it," Kamamoto said thoughtfully as he too stood from his seat, Tatara smiled and thanked him.

"Don't forget we have something we need to talk about later today, boys." Izumo reminded them, much to Mikoto and Anna's confusion, the other three men nodded their heads in understanding. "Kamamoto I'm putting you in charge of watching over Tatara, Yata, as third in command you're in charge of keeping an eye out on Mikoto's behalf. I'd do it myself but I do have a bar to run. I trust that you don't have any objects, huh Mikoto?"

The King shook his head, eyes briefly slipping shut as he tried to ignore the bright sunlight that was filtering in the bar from the windows. With everyone on the same page, Tatara ascended the stairs in search of sleep while Kamamoto left for the store, with a promise to be back in an hour. Anna hopped off of the King's lap in exchange for playing with her marbles, _searching for the Colorless King, no doubt_ Mikoto thought as he watched Yata drum his fingers back and forth whilst Kusanagi turned the **Closed** sign over to **OPEN**.

"Yata," Suoh called out, catching the attention of the vanguard leader who looked more nervous than he had ever recalled seeing him. "Wipe that anxious look off of your face, we have nothing to fear."

"He's right, for now at least," Kusanagi agreed, "I'm having extra locks and cameras installed on the perimeter of the building and I'm sure Anna will let us know if we have any unsuspected visitors."

"I guess," Yata said wistfully, the feigned smile he offered faltering as his eyes met his King's. "I'm going to watch a movie upstairs, if anyone wants to come with me." Anna made no move or indication that she was interested, nor did Kusanagi who had begun counting bottles behind the bar, taking note of what needed to be restocked. Mikoto on the other hand, stood. "You're coming with me, Mikoto-san?"

"Ah," the King said as he rubbed his left shoulder, his own HOMRA marking feeling warmer than usual. Yata smiled and nodded his head, politely waiting for his King to begin up the stairs before he followed after him.

The recreation room was large, a huge sectional sat against the back wall, opposite of a projector and a white screen that hung from the ceilings. A movie player along with several shelves full of movies accompanied a small popcorn machine that sat alongside the hanging screen. Save for the sheets and pillows Yata and Kamamoto had used the night before the room was spotless, something Mikoto was surprised at.

"What would you like to watch, Mikoto-san?" The skateboarder asked thoughtfully as he scanned the titles on the shelf, the Red King took up a seat in the middle of the sectional- picking up the blankets and pillows before setting them aside.

"Doesn't matter," he answered flatly, hands crossing in his lap as he stared ahead at the screen numbly. "Yata?"

"Yes, Mikoto-san?" The vanguard answered immediately, spinning on his heel to watch the older man as he sighed and waved his hand in the air.

"Drop the formalities for now, would you? It's not always necessary."

Yata's face turned bright red, blood rushing to his face as he stumbled over his words.

"Sorry...I'm just showing my respect for you..." Misaki explained as he turned around and continued his search for a movie he hadn't seen _a thousand times_ , somewhere behind him he heard the king chuckle.

"I know you are, I appreciate it but you don't have to prove you respect me, I know you do without it being said repetitively."

"Sorry, I'll stop saying it as much," Yata offered as he finally plucked a movie free of it's case. "Hows a horror movie sound?"

"Sounds fine with me," the Red King answered absentmindedly as he sprawled out on the couch, laying his head on his hand.

"Insidious?" The skateboarder questioned as he opened the DVD player, a nod was the only acknowledgment he received. After turning the lights down and flipping the projector on he made himself comfortable a few spaces down from his King, eyes occasionally darting from the screen to the older man who's face grew wary as the time went on. Something told Yata it wasn't the film making Mikoto look that way.

K-K-K-K

 _It was bright, the pain was excruciating, and the light, **god, it was so bright.** Mikoto shook as a wave of agony rolled over him, his body trembling as he made it up to his knees. The only thing he could see for miles was destruction, pure catastrophe, not a soul in sight. His aura radiated from his fingertips, and as he pushed himself up to his feet he watched the usually safe flames rip and char his skin; ushering in a fresh throe of pain echoed throughout him._

 _He stared down at his arm, absolutely horrified as the flames licked his disintegrating tissue. His eyes drifted upward, where a familiar object, his Sword of Damocles, hung precariously above his head. He blinked rapidly, wishing the pain and confusion away as his reality crumbled and gave way to a foreign scene._

 _A man stood with his back to him, though he looked grainy, as if Mikoto was looking through night vision goggles. For some reason the date December 7th blurred across his vision. **Anna's birthday.** A loud incessant humming echoed around him, adding to the impending doom he felt bubbling beneath his skin._

 _"I'm Tatara Totsuka..." the words shook Mikoto from his trance, but the rest of the words mingled together, the only other thing he remembered hearing after that was a loud bang. The sound coming from a gun the man, who had once faced away from him, had shown. Smoke filled the air, pain ripped through Mikoto's stomach and his fingertips desperately raked over the tingling flesh. Somewhere next to him he heard a dull thud, gasps and wheezing accompanying it. The scene shifted on queue._

 _"Mikoto, please don't go!" Anna's shaking frame appeared to him next, arms wrapped around herself as her Aura,_ _ **or was it his aura?**_ Began radiating brightly around her, casting shadows where the blinding light failed to reach, her hand shot outwards; beckoning the King to take it, but he found himself unable to reach her. Suddenly, the world faded into black.

"A nice night you say? Yes indeed, it is a very nice night!"

"Mikoto-san?"

A sharp shake alerted the Red King, bringing him out of the realm of dreams and back into the present, _not quickly enough._ Wide eyed and confused he glanced at the person who had woken him, Yata, who had concern written all over his slightly bruised face. The older man gawked at him for a second, eyes refusing to forget the images he had just seen, while reality began to sink in.

 _It was a dream._ He thought to himself as he sat up, Yata's arms still planted firmly on his shoulders in support, his only anchor to the present. A realization dawned on Mikoto. _It wasn't a dream...that was the vision._

"Anna, Totsuka..." he mumbled weakly, completely oblivious to how much he was shaking in his vanguard's arms. Yata frowned, tightening his hold as if to say _it's over, you're safe._ Mikoto oddly enough didn't find it comforting.

"They're fine, Tatara is sleeping and Anna is downstairs with Kusanagi...you're fine, too. You just fell asleep," Misaki promised as he took a seat next to his King, dropping his hold as the older man sunk back into the couch, his head resting on Yata's lap. "Mikoto...you're..."

The Red King felt something wet drip down his cheek. For a moment he looked up at his third in command, half expecting tears to be rolling down the younger man's face but instead he found nothing but worried eyes staring back at him. Mikoto touched his cheek weakly, not believing that the liquid on his skin had fallen from his own amber colored eyes.

"I'm fine," he lied, not quite trusting the words himself.

"Mikoto..."

The King looked up at his clansmen.

"Yata, this stays between us." He commanded, though deep down he knew it went without saying. The skateboarder nodded his head slowly in understanding before being brave enough to wipe the remaining remnants of the tear from the Red King's eye. Mikoto found his eyes slipping shut again but this time he pried them open, afraid of what he would see if he fell back into his usual state of unconsciousness.

"Of course," Yata complied, leaning backwards to make himself comfortable and allow his King to turn on his side, his head still laying gently in the vanguard's lap. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"Ah, I don't know how but I think I saw what Anna's been so desperate to prevent." He answered numbly, ignoring the blistering embarrassment he felt at allowing one of his clansmen to see him when he was so vulnerable. Before anything else could be said a sharp knock sounded from behind the door, followed by a simple string of words.

"It's me, can I come in? Anna told me to check on you, Mikoto."

It was Kusanagi, his voice slightly cracked as the words fell off of his lips. Mikoto welcomed him in, Yata reaching for the remote as he paused the ongoing movie, allowing the others to chat for a moment.

"I'm all right, but do let Anna know I saw what she's been dreaming about." Suoh stated with a sigh, flipping on his back once again as he looked up at his third in command, who made no indication of saying anything.

"Oh?" Izumo mumbled with some hesitance in his voice, he leaned against the door frame. "That's unusual."

"Ah, it is," Mikoto responded in agreement as he waved towards the door. "There's nothing to worry about, you don't have to stay here and babysit me."

"No, I don't." Kusanagi said with a slight frown, "that's what Yata is here for anyway."

"Mikoto-san doesn't need a babysitter period, Kusanagi-san. I thought I was just here for moral support and looking out for any weird happenings," Yata replied bitterly, refusing to acknowledge that his King actually needed someone to look after him. _He won't lose control, not when Tatara and I are around anyway...Totsuka can handle him and I can handle whatever comes our way, there's no reason to doubt that or ourselves._ He thought to himself as he glanced down at the half asleep face of his King.

"I'm calling Seri," Izumo announced as he brandished his phone from his pocket.

"What for?" Mikoto inquired as his eyes flitted over to his second in command, the later shot him a knowing look.

"Because she can talk to Munakata on your behalf, I highly doubt you'll want to ask the Blue King for help so I'll take the liberty of filling them in myself." Kusanagi clarified as he pressed the number seven button on his phone, remaining glad that he kept the Scepter 4 lieutenant on speed dial.

"Be careful with what words you use Kusanagi, I don't want them to think I owe them any favors when all of this is said and done." Suoh warned bitterly as his amber colored eyes focused on the unmoving screen in front of him, he ignored the way Yata watched his every movement.

"Will do," Izumo concluded as he escaped back out of the door, leaving the Red King and his vanguard alone once again.

"Well this is a dark day for HOMRA," Mikoto proclaimed as he reached around Yata and pressed play on the remote, "asking the Blues of all people for help. Munakata's going to have a field day."

"It's for the best, what's more important in the grand scheme of things? Your life and Tatara's, or your pride?" Yata countered dangerously, gulping when his King shot him a dirty look. "Our pride..." he corrected weakly, not meaning it at all. If even he was willing to set aside his long stood hatred for Scepter 4 to ensure his King and friend remained safe then he didn't see any harm in it. Especially not when ultimately, they were the ones benefiting from the situation.

It was quiet after that, the only noise in the room coming from the horror movie that Mikoto didn't understand in the slightest, having fallen asleep during the middle of it. Yata jumped when the _devil_ let himself be seen, something Mikoto chuckled at- much to the vanguard's dismay. After that the movie seemed to pick up, though Suoh wasn't sure how a red and black CGI creature was supposed to scare him.

Misaki was obviously freaked out enough by it to cover his eyes or look away at certain times, something that provided endless entertainment for the Third King. The movie became an after thought and instead he watched it's affect on his third in command, highly amused at how little it took to scare a man who rushed head first into danger most of the time.

"Mikoto-san you're starting to creep me out," Yata said with a laugh as a loud shrill on the screen shook the vanguard to the core, "quit staring at me!"

"But your reactions are nearly priceless," Mikoto countered smugly, Yata all but seethed at the man in his lap. The King went to comment on it when his thought process was cut off by an abrupt onslaught of words.

"Sorry Suoh, am I interrupting?"

If all the blood in Mikoto's body boiled any hotter he was sure he would disintegrate. Propping himself up on his elbows the Red King narrowed his eyes, taking in the site of Reisi Munakata, Seri Awashima, and his own clansmen, Izumo, who looked calm as ever.

"Are you losing your touch? Normally you'd be more than alert to me entering your domain," Munakata said with a forced smile, almost as if he was enjoying seeing the Third King in such a dismal, helpless state. Yata cursed under his breath, a sentiment Mikoto shared.

"I just wasn't prepared for the all righteous Reisi Munakata to appear in my doorway, don't kid yourself." Suoh grunted, eyes locking onto Izumo's as he looked his friend over. "Why are they here? I thought you said you'd handle this?"

"Well he refused initially, but said he'd consider it if he heard the words coming from you directly. I knew you wouldn't agree so I invited them here to try and pry it out of you. Don't look so hurt Mikoto, there are greater things at risk than your pride." Kusanagi growled out of frustration, "have a seat." He motioned at the two blues to enter the room further, waving towards the couch Yata and Mikoto occupied.

Seri politely declined while Munakata took a seat on the edge, somewhere behind Mikoto, Yata paused the movie. Izumo quickly flipped the lights on.

"Get Tatara, would you?" Mikoto grumbled as he forced himself to sit upright, ignoring the groan of protest that crashed over him like a drawn out tidal wave, Munakata raised an eyebrow.

"Getting the beast master involved in case you make the wrong move, Suoh Mikoto?" Seri dared as Izumo left in search of HOMRA's cameraman, "such wonderful hospitality."

"Fuck you lady," Yata challenged at the remark, going against his own rule of never offending a woman. "You're on our turf now, you play by our rules. Say whatever you want but remember-"

"Remember what place you're in, Yatagarasu." Seri interrupted with a huff, "after all it's your King asking ours for help. Mocking us is not going to go over smoothly when you're all but begging for our help."

"Fuc-"

"Enough," Munakata said bitterly, "I'm sure Suoh agrees with me when I say if you can't keep quiet then you can leave. Seri, we are not here to argue- we are here to hear Suoh out."

"King?" Tatara's soothing voice echoed dully throughout the room, Anna clung to the cameraman's sleeve, nervousness dancing in her eyes as she took in her surroundings.

"Come in, have a seat," Mikoto responded dryly. Once everyone, including Izumo, was seated and quiet Mikoto reluctantly began filling Munakata in on what the situation was. It irritated him to no end seeing the Blue King smirk as he all but poured his heart out to him, asking for favors wasn't something Suoh was fond of and having to ask Munakata of all people was worse than a death sentence. _If it was just my life at risk I wouldn't be having this conversation,_ he reminded himself as he wrapped up his narrowed down speech.

Munakata listened thoughtfully, never once interrupting and only speaking when he was certain that the Red King was finished explaining himself.

"So you want Scepter 4 to help you track down and locate this man to bar Totsuka and yourself from death? Are you asking me this because you don't want Tatara to die or because you're afraid of what will happen to yourself if he does? Either way, this is definitely not your style, Suoh."

The Red King grimaced.

"Do you think I like asking you to work with me on this? The only time I didn't mind your clan's involvement was when Basashi rode off with Anna." Mikoto deducted as he crossed his arms across his chest, he ignored Seri stating that his name _wasn't_ Basashi.

"I suppose you don't but what do you expect for us to do? Are you asking me to kill the Colorless King?" Munakata wondered as he too reclined in his seat, eyes darting closed for a moment. "Granted the Colorless King could pose a real threat to not only your clan but mine, but we don't even know what this man is capable of. Imprisoning him wouldn't be an easy task but it would make the most sense. If we can find him, that is."

"Come on, Munakata, do you really want me to be the end of this city and even yourself?" Mikoto retorted bluntly as he met the other King's gaze.

"Don't be foolish, Suoh. I wouldn't let you do that," Munakata answered without a sliver of doubt, all but ending Mikoto's curiosity of what the Blue King would do should his Sword of Damocles fall.

"So my proposal is you help HOMRA capture this bastard and we find out what to do from there, afterward we can return to our usual selves. After the Colorless King is dealt with our war with each other can rage on," Mikoto snickered, "because deep down I know that's what you want. You couldn't bear the thought of ending my life because of someone else. If you ever had the pleasure of killing me wouldn't you want it to be on your own terms?"

Munakata's laugh didn't go unheard.

"I suppose you're right, I don't quite like the idea of you dying without me having a proper say in it." The Blue King rose to his feet, "Seri, issue a code level Royal Blue and alert nearby authorities as well. Tighten up our own security and place guard posts around the city, one being within close proximity to this bar. Make highway checkpoints mandatory and let the Gold King know about this immediately. The Dresden Slate must also be protected."

"Sir, I'll do that immediately," the blond woman stated as she exited the room, no doubt in order to make phone calls and put her King's action into place.

"In the meantime Suoh, I expect your full cooperation, and I mean yours. You're not to sleep while your clansmen clear house for you. Understood?" Munakata's smile did nothing but piss Mikoto off.

"Just because you're working with me doesn't mean you get to treat me like one of your subordinates," the Red King reminded him as he turned his attention to his own clansmen.

"Mikoto I don't think you understand, that wasn't a request." Munakata said bluntly as he sauntered towards the door, "you will do what I say or you can expect no help from myself or Scepter 4. If you want us to help you then be a man, swallow your pride, and act like a damn King for once in your life. This is not the time for a clash of egos, we will cooperate fully but only if you drop the act. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Mikoto seethed, anger surfacing in the form of a threatening glow in his usually passive eyes. His clansmen winced at the overwhelming heat they felt radiate off of their HOMRA emblems.

"Good, now I'll be back shortly to finish acquiring the rest of the details. With the information you've provided for us we will try our best to track down any persons matching this description and when we do find him you will be the first one to know. Can we expect HOMRA to match our efforts if we send out information pertaining to this matter?" The Blue King placed his hand on the doorknob, ready to walk out once he heard what he wanted to hear- words Mikoto knew he'd regret saying.

"Yeah, HOMRA from this point forward will work with Scepter 4 until the capture of the man claiming to be the Colorless King is complete, but Munakata I have one more favor to ask you." Suoh groaned, utterly hating how the words tasted rolling past his lips. "Can you at least tell me what's in it for you? Why did you agree to help so quickly? Is it because the idea of bossing me around is too great to pass up?"

"Well Suoh that is one valid point, but I'm doing this for more personal reasons than pleasurable ones." Munakata answered wistfully as he turned the doorknob and began to walk out, "consider this a favor from a friend."

"Munakata get back here!" Suoh huffed as he got to his feet, anger and unprecedented warning lacing with his voice. The Blue King didn't re-enter the room, but didn't close the door either. "Should you and I fail to prevent this incident from happening then I will slay the Colorless King, don't let that be forgotten. If this mission falls through before the night of December 7th then our truce is off."

"That's my birthday..." Mikoto heard Anna whisper but he shook it off.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Suoh. Though I don't condone your idiocy I can't necessarily say I don't understand it. From now until this time next week we will be allies but should we fail and should you choose to end the Colorless King's life then I will end yours without a moments hesitation."

"I think you'll hesitate a little but I'll hold you to it," Mikoto retorted with a smirk as he placed a palm on the center of the door before closing it. "Bye Munakata."

The Blue King took the stairs two at a time, meeting up with Seri as they exited the bar and got into one of Scepter 4's transport vehicles, looking back at the bar named HOMRA Munakata felt a brief flash of worry cross his mind. Mikoto's words rang in his head like knifes cluttering together in a kitchen cabinet, he closed eyes.

 _I think you'll hesitate a little but I'll hold you to it._

The Blue King shook his head and pushed up his glasses, eyes darting to the side as he stared out of the car's window, Tokyo flying past him in a colorful blur.

"Fool."


	2. Kerzenlicht

While Kusanagi and the rest of HOMRA made preparations for Anna's birthday party, Mikoto was in charge of keeping the young Strain entertained, which wasn't proving to be too much of a hassle. Anna was wise beyond on her years, seeing as she wasn't exactly human and her every day life wasn't exactly normal, but she could also play as hard as a kid could. Mikoto didn't mind watching the television shows Anna was interested in, but the more time he spent alone with the young girl the more he wished he could have some extra help.

It wasn't just the fact that Anna was currently seated behind him, playing with his usually styled hair, but it was the fact that she refused to compromise on anything. She was in a strange mood, the Red King thought anyway, seeing as she usually didn't act so ichildish/i, but he reasoned that the weight of the current matters was weighing down heavily on her, he could only wish that she didn't have to be involved with such things.

His head began to feel foggy after about two hours of Anna's beauty regime being implemented on him, he was one hundred percent certain it had nothing to do with the panic he felt at the idea of one of his clansmen walking in to see him with barrettes in his hair, but more so from the fact he was absolutely drained. Anna, seeming to notice this after sometime, began taking the clips out and instead settled on brushing the King's hair until it laid flat like it usually did without any TLC.

"You're not feeling well," Anna mumbled as she rest her head on her King's shoulders, her arms wrapping around his neck.

"No, I'm not," he confirmed as he patted her head reassuringly, but he feigned a smile. His father-like instincts telling him to not worry the young girl any more than he already had.

"Are you just tired? You've been sleeping a lot lately," she whispered quietly, almost nervous sounding for reasons the red haired man couldn't pinpoint.

Her statement made his skin crawl. He couldn't deny the fact he had been spending more time awake than asleep, but it did bother him a bit, contrary to popular belief. He just felt constantly tired, no matter how much sleep he got he would be exhausted when he woke up again. He could only wonder if it was due to the fact he was a ticking time bomb, maybe his Weismann levels had something to do with it as well.

"I'm all right, no need to worry, I'm just tired and a bit stressed." Mikoto said reassuringly as he fought off a yawn, "I think I need a nap, though." He gently shook her off and in turn crawled up to the couch, grabbing the pillow and blankets Yata and Kamamoto had been using he made himself comfortable. Anna looked over at him after a few minutes.

"I'll just stay here and watch TV, you can go to bed, Mikoto." She offered with a smile as she brought her knees to her chest, eyes focused on the pictures moving across the bright flat screen.

"Ngh, I'm all right..." was the groggy reply she received, and even the Strain was completely oblivious to the fact that the Red King was starting to feel even more ill than he had earlier.

Mikoto mimicked the young girls actions, bringing his knees closer to his body until he was in the fetal position. A wave of nausea swept over him and he had to bite his tongue to keep from groaning, he couldn't remember the last time he felt this way but it had been long before he was a King. King's never got sick, it was just a fact of the power they were granted, but Mikoto knew it was because of his powers that he was here in the first place. He was indeed, much worse off than he had previously thought.

"Your Red is dim, Mikoto..." Anna began as she clambered over to her King, crimson eyes raking over him quizzically.

"Is it?" He gasped out, not meaning to sound half as weak as he did, when a particularly hard wave of pain swept over him he gripped his head between his hands.

"It's like a candlelight, not an inferno..." Anna responded coolly, though Mikoto could detect the worry that seeped into her voice. "I'm getting Kusanagi."

"No!" Suoh replied too quickly, "they have enough to worry about. This will pass soon enough, I just need to rest."

"Then rest," the young girl bit back, huffing at the man's refusal of help. Mikoto didn't have the energy to respond, instead he found himself immediately drifting off into the darkest sleep of his life.

"Mikoto," said man's eyes slowly peeled open as he out of unconsciousness, Izumo's concerned face being the very first thing he saw upon doing so. "Munakata and Seri are here, they wanted to speak with you in regards to the measures they've implemented."

"Why?" The Red King snapped, his head still swimming, his surroundings almost blurring together as he sat up too quickly.

"They said they would be back, remember? It's only nine o'clock," Kusanagi shot back as he helped hoist his King off of the couch. "Boy, what's got you so worked up?"

"Huh?" Was Mikoto's confused response, "I'm fine?"

"Look in the mirror would ya?"

So with shaky footsteps he went to the only mirror in the wreck room, which was full length and stashed in one of the room's four corners. He didn't understand what he was supposed to be looking it and could only hope Izumo wasn't making a jab about how lifeless his hair looked. He checked himself over for a minute before looking his reflection in the eye, his breath catching awkwardly in his throat as he did so.

"That's weird," Mikoto mumbled as he blinked a few times, trying to shake the red glow from his eyes. It seemed dimmer than it usually did, but why on earth it was sticking around was something he couldn't comprehend. He wasn't even trying to make it happen, he was trying to gt rid of it after all, but the glow around his pupils refused to go away. "Where is Anna?"

"Asleep, I came in here and she was passed out next to you, I took her to bed already. Yata and Tatara are keeping the Blues company downstairs and Kamamoto ran out to grab some dinner." Izumo answered fully as he walked back over to the couch and retrieved his friend's jacket, "want this?"

Mikoto took it with a nod before pulling it around his shoulders, "stall them for five minutes, I need to pull myself together."

"Mikoto?"

The concern in his friend's voice was apparent.

"Go," he demanded with a wave of his hand as he stalked out of the rec room and headed towards his bedroom, not stopping until his feet hit the threshold of his bathroom. He made quick work of washing his face in the coldest water possible, trying to rid some of the heat he felt under his skin but the water evaporated on contact though he didn't will it to do so. He wondered how his clothes didn't catch fire as he hastily styled his hair, not trying to look like complete and utter ishit/i to confront his enemy turned ally. Bedhead had never been a good look on him.

Sighing heavily, he flipped the lights off and exited his bedroom, making haste of descending the staircase despite the part of his mind that screamed at him to take it easy. He ignored it, like he usually did.

"Suoh it's not like you to keep us waiting," Munakata said dryly, clearly unamused by the situation. If Mikoto's eyes hadn't already been illuminating the dimly lit room than they certainly would be now.

"I don't rush for anyone, don't take it personally." Was his dazed reply, his head still spinning from his rapid descent down the staircase. His clansmen absentmindedly clawed at their HOMRA markings.

"Why the hostility? To think we worked our asses off all day for you and this is how you thank us..." Reisi countered as he grabbed a glass of water that had been on the bar, he offered it to the Red King who stared at him blankly. "You look like shit, Suoh. Are you not feeling well?"

Mikoto hated how he could never lie or get one over on the Blue King, but it was a part of the job description he guessed. Being practically immortal, only being able to be die by the hands of your own kind had its perks, but it also had it's pitfalls. Munakata always knew when the Red King was bluffing, but it worked the opposite way as well. Suoh momentarily wondered if it was because Reisi knew him all itoo well/i or just because of their status, but he didn't ponder it long. He took the extended glass and drank it's contents without a word.

"You're sick," Reisi stated in a matter of fact tone, "Seri have the guys in the van prep for an examination of his Weismann levels."

"Si-"

"That won't be necessary, Seri." Mikoto responded with a dismissive smirk, the blond woman merely frowned.

"I don't take orders from you," she countered as she stepped outside to alert her King's subordinates in person. The tension in the room grew thick and awkward and did little for Mikoto's impending migraine. Taking a seat on the couch beside Yata, he tossed his head back- eyes staring blankly up at the ceiling until Seri returned and informed them the Blues were ready to run a few tests. Suoh went reluctantly, not trying or in the mood to cause a scene.

The Blues in the van visibly tensed upon the Red King entering, none more so than Saruhiko who looked at odds with himself as Munakata instructed Suoh to remove his coat, which he did as quickly as he could. So he wouldn't have to activate his sanctum they placed sensors on his pale skin, instructing him to lie back on the cold metal table and relax as they looked over his numbers. Munakata's frown didn't go unnoticed by everyone else.

"Your levels are erratic, going from extremely high to extremely low...I've never encountered such a variation." He said with a sigh that shook his broad shoulders, "it doesn't seem like you're going to to explode at any moment, though. Your Sword of Damocles isn't present either..."

"So I'm as unstable as usual then?" Mikoto said coyly as he plucked at one of the more annoying placed censors on his forehead.

"More so than usual, we will just chalk this up to stress but I'd like to contain you for the time being until you are more stable."

"Not going to happen."

"Figures," Reisi seethed as he removed the nodes from the other man's skin, his fingers occasionally lingering too long for the Red King's liking. In the past, this would have been completely normal for the two of them but that was no longer the case. It wasn't Mikoto's proudest time in his life, but at one point Reisi and himself had been romantically involved with one another.

If you could call an occasional late night rendezvous romantic.

It happened a grand total of five times and each time Mikoto had regretted it almost immediately afterward, but he had gone back for more like Reisi had been a drug. It was only when he feared Munakata was starting to have other feelings for him, ones that weren't fueled by intense hatred, that he called it off. Simply refusing to meet with him ever again unless they were going to fight and do only that. Mikoto didn't do relationships, he was a selfish man and he had told the Blue King this way ahead of time.

He didn't feel responsible for any emotions the Blue King had for him, and he certainly didn't return them.

He still hated Reisi Munakata. Always had, and always would. Nothing would ever change that, not even the handful of times they had had sex. If anything, that just made him hate the other man even more.

"Well if you'd go ahead and relinquish your power then maybe you wouldn't have this problem," Munakata said blandly as he tossed Mikoto's jacket to him.

"Still not gonna happen," he countered swiftly, sliding the coat over his shivering shoulders as he made himself comfortable on the icy table. "You really don't know me at all, do you?"

"No, I do. I just forget you're a raging idiot who won't listen to reason," Munakata dared as he looked back over to the monitor Saruhiko was working on. "If you knew you could grant your powers to one of your clansmen would you do it?"

"Directly to them?" Mikoto asked for clarification purposes, finding the whole conversation a bit trivial- considering he would never willingly part with his aura.

"Yes, in theory."

"Probably not," Mikoto answered honestly as he fought to keep himself awake.

"Do you not trust them enough?"

"It's not that, I just wouldn't subject them to this more torture. My boys are a lot like me after all, they'd be terrible Kings, just like I am." Suoh answered with a roll of his eyes, "besides, I'm a selfish man. I don't think I need to remind you that, though."

Munakata visibly tensed, causing the Red King to smirk and everyone else to look at the leader of the Blues in confusion.

"So realistically, how am I supposed to become more stable? I feel like shit," Mikoto asked with a yawn, shaking off his pride in favor of getting an answer to his question.

"I advise you and your clansmen to stop using your powers as often as you do, take at least three days with no exertion then we will see how you're fairing. I know tensions are high and your stress level is through the roof but you and your clan don't need to be highly active at the moment anyway, you're all walking targets." Reisi replied with a smile, something that made the King of Fire pissed off beyond belief.

"Duly noted," he commented with a deep sigh, "so any news?"

"Not at the moment, but we've implemented all of the things we mentioned earlier. We will find this man if he dares show his face around Tokyo." Munakata answered weakly, as if he was troubled by something.

"He's quite young looking isn't he, Red King?" Seri asked, waiting for Suoh to nod in confirmation- which he did. "So perhaps we should canvas the local junior high and high school locations as well?"

"That's a wonderful idea, Seri." Reisi said with a smile, one his lieutenant blushed profusely at. Mikoto rolled his eyes, desperate at this point to escape the van he currently felt trapped in.

"Can I go now?"

"Yes yes, you're free to go. But I mean it Suoh, take it easy and have your clan do the same until you're feeling better. You're so unstable your own loyal subjects are killing you..." Munakata said with an eery laugh.

"How ironic..." Saruhiko mumbled under his breath, eyes widening a bit when the Red King shot him a glare- letting him know he hadn't been as quiet as he had tried to be.

"Loyalty doesn't mean much in the end, does it Fushimi?" Mikoto spat, anger boiling his blood until his already red eyes glowed even more intensely, his vision blurred at the notion. He wondered where this rage was coming from, he had never held the fact Saruhiko left over his head or resented him for it but now he couldn't help himself. He really was sick.

"I'll call you if there are any developments, get some rest, Suoh." Reisi said- almost nervously- as he tried to draw attention away from his now flustered third in command.

"Ah," was all Mikoto returned as he exited the van on unsteady feet, he hastily made his way back inside the bar. Ignoring the pleas to know if he was all right, he flung himself down on the couch, laying his head back as far as it would go until he hit something that was definitely not the armrest. He looked up apologetically as Yata stared down at him, a dumbfounded look on his face.

"So...how did it go?" Izumo asked as he came out from behind the bar, turning the OPEN sign back over to CLOSED in the front window.

"Nothing new, but he said he'd inform me when that changed." Mikoto answered in earnest as he felt his lids begin to droop, he was still exhausted and it was getting harder and harder to fight off the urge to sleep. He wondered how long it would be before he had to sleep throughout the entire day, he also wondered if a medically induced coma would help him catch up on the sleep he never seemed to get (despite the fact that was all he ever did) but he shook his head to clear it of the thought.

"I was talking about your health, smart ass." Kusanagi sneered as he stood impatiently in front of the couch, "if they had found the alleged Colorless King then you would've been on your way with the Blues to retrieve him, I don't need you to tell me they haven't found him when that's pretty much obvious."

Mikoto's eyes snapped open as he turned a bit to face his lifelong friend, he had never seen Izumo so blatantly annoyed with him, and to his surprise, his friend looked shocked at his own outburst.

"I think your mood is rubbing off on all of us, I'm aggravated too and I couldn't even begin to tell you why." Tatara offered weakly as he brought his knees to his chest in one of the recliners across from the couch, "please King, just tell us whats going on."

"I'm fine so you all can stop worrying so much," Suoh answered after a brief pause in the conversation, "my Weismann levels are fluctuating from dangerously low to dangerously high so I need to take it easy for the next few days in order to stabilize them. That means no one in the clan is to use my aura until I'm feeling better, send out a text or something to inform everyone. Only use it in case of a life threatening emergency, otherwise I'll wind up killing everyone on this side of Tokyo."

"Wow, that's not good..." Tatara mumbled as he looked over at his ailing friend, "Mikoto all of this stress isn't helping you any, I'm sure...but we're safe in here, aren't we? I mean we didn't think twice about you walking outside because Munakata was with you but as long as we stick together and stay here we should be fine...you don't have to worry so much."

"I do have to worry this much, actually." Mikoto said too quietly, something completely unlike him, but his energy levels were draining at even more rapid rate than usual. His cloudy vision wasn't helping him much either. "You seem to forget that I have you and everyone else to protect...but you're the one who reminded me of this all those years ago so I don't know why you're going against your words now."

"My apologies, I didn't mean it like that." Tatara clarified almost nervously.

Mikoto grimaced. "Ah, well I think I'm going to get some sleep. Izumo take care of that text, will you?"

"Of course," Kusanagi responded as he whipped out his cell phone, quickly sending out a message to all the members of HOMRA, minus the few that were already present.

The Red King let out one last yawn before he sat up, removing his head from the warmth of Yata's lap- something that caused a shiver to roll down his spine, a sensation he hadn't felt in quite a long time. He swung his legs off the side of the couch as he attempted to stand, his shaky legs nearly buckling on him if it weren't for his Vanguard's quick reaction time.

"Shit," he cursed as he pinched his brow, trying, yet failing, to shake the fatigue his body had sent crashing down onto him. Yata didn't wait for an invitation to help the King to his room, he did so with steady hands and a patience the Red King didn't even know he had possessed. He felt like he was always learning something new about his clansmen, whether it was good or bad depended on the person involved but he couldn't say Yata's helpful side was necessarily a bad thing. He actually appreciated it, though he would likely never vocalize that.

"Mikoto-san, do you want a glass of water or something?" Yata asked as they finally made it to the older man's bedroom, where Mikoto clambered under the sheets as quickly as he could after kicking off his shows and shoving his coat down his shoulders. He shuddered against the room's chilled air, the bite of winter had never bothered him before, but now, even with the heater cranking warm air into the bar/home he felt chilled to the core.

"No, I'm okay," he lied as he leaned against the black headboard of his bed, eyes half lidded as he looked at his third in command. "I saw Saruhiko in the van," he said out of the blue, trying to ignore the fact he was more than ready for bed. Yata's calm face morphed into an irritated scowl.

"Was he bleeding or dying?"

"No."

"That's a shame," Misaki said with a laugh, "but I guess I'll just have to change the fact he's unharmed next time I see him."

"That's the spirit," Mikoto said with a small smile as he watched the familiar fire he shared with his younger clansmen return into the vanguard's eyes. He'd emphasize it again, but Yata really did remind him of a younger version of himself. Though he had been so much worse than skateboarder.

"Get better, Mikoto-san," Yata suddenly exclaimed with a frown, "I don't like this feeling I'm getting so I can only imagine how bad you must be feeling at the moment."

Mikoto watched the Vanguard leader claw at his HOMRA marking for a moment before he let out a shuddered breath, hands clenching into fists before he released them.

"I'll admit, I'm slightly concerned myself. I didn't think Kings could get sick, but I guess even I can't escape my own power." He laughed bitterly, "all of this stress doesn't help, but I'm a bit amazed that I'm so capable of destroying everything, even myself. It's extremely ironic."

"Mikoto-san?"

"Sorry, I guess my heads a bit messed up from feeling so poorly." He said awkwardly as he tried to recover a bit of his pride, hating the way the words tasted when they came tumbling past his lips.

"I was actually going to say you were being a bit talkative tonight, but that's not exactly a bad thing." Yata said with a light laugh, "I wish you'd talk more often, Mikoto-san. I mean, you talk but I just wish that you...I mean I..."

"Wish I would speak more with you?" Suoh asked with a raised eyebrow as he began to lower himself back onto his pillow, he didn't need to see Yata's face to know that had been what he was trying to ask. "I promise we will talk more if you can promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"Stop calling me Mikoto-san when it's just the two of us."

It wasn't the first time he had asked but Mikoto had a feeling it wouldn't be the last time either. Yata's promise was the last thing he heard before he found himself back in the snares of unconscious oblivion, nightmares and Anna's vision plaguing his mind on repeat until everything eventually faded into black.


	3. Kitchen

_**AN: Decided to update again to make up for my absence. This chapter is a about as long as the first one was, the last one was a bit shorter so I wanted to make up the difference for that one, too. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. :)**_

 _ **(If I hadn't made this clear enough, we are derailing from the anime's plot line a lot more so in this chapter.)**_

0o0o0o

Mikoto blew his nose into a fresh tissue for what had to have been the hundredth time since he had woken up an hour ago. Kusanagi pleaded with him to stay in bed, but the Red King wasn't having any of it. He had tried to eat the breakfast Tatara made but everything from the eggs to the toast had tasted exactly the same. Something he was extremely unhappy about.

When Kamamoto had woken up, with a very grumpy Yata in tow, the two had practically had heart attacks at the site of their king, sitting with a blanket on his shoulders, hair out of place , with even worse bags under his eyes than usual. A stranger would've thought he was dying if they had seen the two young clansman's reactions. Anna was attached to his side, like usual, but her focus was surprisingly on her marbles, not the sick man who was watching over her.

"Mikoto, the man claiming to be the Colorless King is in this vicinity!" The Strain randomly proclaimed after a short period of silence, every pair of eyes in the room fell on her as she pointed excitedly at her map.

"The shopping district?" Mikoto asked with a sniffle, the young girl nodded her head.

"I'll call Seri and inform her about this new found information." Izumo said with a smile, "looks like we caught this guy in three days time, no more worries."

"We haven't got him in custody yet, let's not jinx ourselves." Suoh mumbled as he pinched his brow, only looking back up when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist. Anna looked at him as if she was expecting him to say something else, when he did she filled the awkward silence.

"Did I do good work, Mikoto?"

The hope in the young girls voice brought a smile to his face, it was as if his praise was the only thing she had wanted besides actually finding the guy. It warmed his heart in an unexpected way.

"You did great, Anna." Mikoto said proudly as he wrapped an arm loosely around his youngest clansmen. "I'm proud of you, thank you for all the hard work."

Her brilliant smile made the sincerity of the words he spoke shy away in shame.

"I hope they find this guy, they should lock down the city and hunt him down like the animal he is." Yata stated in disgust, "I wish I was capable of killing the bastard myself. Too bad clansmen are inferior to Kings."

"Imagine a word where clansmen were as strong as Kings," Anna replied as she tightened her grip on the red head's waist. "Wars would be inevitable and Kings would be useless."

"That's a good point," Kamamoto answered as he took a seat on the recliner, eyes traveling over to the bar where Tatara was washing dishes, and where Izumo was talking on the phone to Seri.

"Yeah, a world where Mikoto isn't the strongest man in it would just be a bit boring." Yata said, a blush rising to his cheeks as everyone in the vicinity looked at him funny. "I mean, you're just a great King...and we all feel connected to one another thanks to you and if everyone had your kind of power then this world would be in ruin. I mean...I'm just gonna shut up now. I'll be watching a movie upstairs if you need me."

And in a matter of moments the flustered boy was out of his seat and up the stairs, only stopping to ask Izumo to inform him when they would be moving out. Mikoto swore none of his clansmen understood that they weren't going after this guy, his health was too poor for any of them to be exerting themselves. He and Munakata would handle the situation but he couldn't afford for anyone else to get involved.

His thoughts drifted to Yata's strange outburst but he shook his head to clear the thought, he was just a teenager who acted out but was shy and sensitive at heart. He took everything the wrong way, it wasn't like anyone had looked at him negatively. In fact, Mikoto thought the words had been a bit kind, until the young leader of the Vanguard made a fool of himself. He swore someone needed to teach that boy to have some confidence.

"Out of curiosity, King..." Tatara's voice filled his surely infected ears as the groups musician came into view. "Can I take your temperature?"

The Red King shrugged, biting back a smirk when he saw his friend brandish a cooking thermometer, not a standard one.

"What? I just figured your body temperature would be far beyond that of a normal persons." Totsuka blushed as he sat on the table in front of his King, "not that you aren't normal or anything...can you open your mouth?"

Mikoto couldn't help but chuckle as he did as instructed, the instrument sliding under his tongue before he clamped his mouth shut. Everyone watched him with eager eyes, besides Kusanagi who was still speaking on the phone to Seri. After a short while Tatara plucked the thermometer from his mouth, eying the number with wide eyes.

"Holy...King how are you not dead?"

Suoh was clearly not amused by that sentiment.

"What is?"

"How bad is it?"

"How bad is it?" Mikoto repeated after Kamamoto, a little bit eager to know the answer himself.

"115 degrees Fahrenheit, or 47 degrees Celsius. Either way, if you were just anybody you'd be dead by now. King your body is truly amazing, how it can endure such temperatures is beyond me!" Tatara said enthusiastically, ignoring Kamamoto's laugh about what was said about their clan leader's _body._ Mikoto couldn't help but wonder why everything sounded like an innuendo today, but he found it highly amusing, despite the fact he felt like he had been hit by a truck.

"Mikoto-san, I'm going to run down to the corner store and get some medicine for you. Will you please take it and get some rest?" Kamamoto asked anxiously after his laughter had died down, thanks to Totsuka's disapproving look. The Red King nodded his head, albeit reluctantly.

"Thank you, Kamamoto, you've been a big help these past few days." He said as he shrunk back in the couch, glancing down at Anna who had drifted off to sleep. He wondered if her locating the Colorless King had taken a toll on her small body, he sincerely hoped that wasn't the case.

"Anything for you, just get better soon." Was Kamamoto's abrupt reply as he grabbed his wallet and walked out the door, finally Izumo was off the phone and back in the armchair across from the couch, a smile brimming on his face.

"They're on their way now, Seri asked if you wanted to go but you need to rest so I sa-"

"I want to go," Mikoto cut him off, he hadn't exactly thought of going with the Blues but now that the proposition had been put out there he felt like he couldn't _not_ go. "Call Seri and tell her to have Munakata pick me up on their way out there."

"Mikoto you just told Kamamoto you would rest..." Izumo countered dangerously, his temper rising at his best friend's stubbornness. "Besides, this situation is still dangerous. He's a King, you could be killed."

"I can handle myself around other Kings."

"Munakata would end you in about five seconds with the current state you're in, don't act like you're feeling like your usual self." Izumo said through gritted teeth, "you're not going. Over my dead body."

"Is that a challenge?" Mikoto growled, red eyes piercing his second in commands, "I'm going with them and there is no one or nothing that can stop me." He stood from the couch, gathering Anna in his arms as he made his way to the stairs. "Call Seri, now."

"King please don't do this..." Tatara pleaded but despite his usually calming charm, the words fell on deaf ears. Mikoto quickly tucked Anna in bed and uncharacteristically placed a kiss on the young girl's forehead, she didn't stir. He knew going was a stupid idea, he could hardly see straight, but the temptation to restrain and capture the Colorless King was too real for him deny. He doubted Munakata would let anything happen to him either, and for the first time Suoh was a bit thankful for that.

He hated feeling helpless, but even if he was at his best a meeting between Kings almost always turned volatile. Yata's wish of clansmen having equal power to their superiors was nothing more than a bad idea, seven people of Mikoto's caliber was more than enough, in fact it was _too_ much. Mikoto hated to admit it, but every King felt superior to the people who devoted their lives to them. It was hard not too, their power was unrivaled except by one another, and what they choose to do was basically law to their respective clans.

Mikoto didn't look down on HOMRA, the people he considered his family, but he knew at the end of the day he would always do things his way or no way at all. If he wouldn't even listen to his best friend than he wouldn't listen to anyone he presumed. Perhaps if the situation was different he would have, he knew he would listen to their pleas if the situation was less serious because he did value their opinions and he never wanted to hurt the people he loved, but he reminded himself that he was a selfish man as he mumbled a "goodbye," under his breath to Anna, just in case he got carried away and did something stupid.

No one needed to be around to see him fall if he couldn't control the anger he felt boiling inside him. Technically, the man claiming to be the Colorless King was innocent, but just the mere thought of what he was scheming at made him guilty in the Red King's burning eyes. Mikoto couldn't made any promises that he wouldn't lose it at the sight of the man, but he knew no matter what, Munakata would be there to either assist him or end him. Suoh didn't think about death, he didn't want to believe he was slowly dying or that he was an accident waiting to happen, and because of that a part of him wanted to push those limits. See how far he could take this before it came back to consume him.

He just hoped that when that time came Reisi Munakata had the balls to kill him.

As Mikoto stepped out of the bedroom and went to go down the hallway the first thing he laid his eyes on was Yata, standing with his arms spread out as if to block his way. But a sound of footsteps behind him let him know everything he needed to know, "a trap, how charming," he mumbled under his breath, feeling the person behind him hesitate if only a little.

"Sorry Mikoto," Izumo said, his breath hitting Mikoto's burning skin before a sharp yet aching pain swept over him, the world swayed for a moment as he tried to regain his footing. He never expected his clansmen to defy him in such a way, but he had to admit he was a bit impressed. Going with the Blues would've been a bad idea but he would have done it regardless.

"How the hell are you still standing?" Izumo huffed as he came to stand in front of his King who merely shrugged, eyes drooping a bit lower as he fought off the urge to fall into unconsciousness. "Let me repeat myself, I'm sorry Mikoto. You can punish me for this later."

All it took was a simple flick of the bartenders wrist and his open hand collided with a pressure point in Mikoto's neck, the two blows were enough to knock out any normal person tenfold but it was only after his friend repeated the notion a third time that he finally fell. The last thing he remembered was being caught by Kusanagi who shook his head with such disdain that Mikoto swore it was the worst his friend had ever looked. "Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

Mikoto closed his eyes, a smile briefly gracing his lips.

 _Do you know who you're talking too, Izumo?_

0o0o0o0o

"Come on, Mikoto...wake up already. I didn't hit you that hard."

"Kusanagi-san you hit him really hard, that would have killed a normal man."

"King will be fine, Yata, wipe that worried look off your face. If he would have went with the Blues then he probably would've lost it and we wouldn't even have a king anymore."

"Don't say that, Totsuka-san! Mikoto-san isn't stupid, he wouldn't have done that to us."

"If you three don't stop bickering I'm going to lose it," Mikoto grumbled as he attempted to sit up, something stopping him short of doing so. He slowly opened his eyes but he immediately regretted it, his head felt like it had been chopped clean off. The urge to go back to sleep was almost too much to ignore but he refused to close his eyelids again. He instantly recognized he was in his bedroom, and as for why he couldn't move...he let a chuckle ripple out of his throat.

"You tied me to the bed?" Mikoto asked with a smirk as he glanced down at the restraints, that were really nothing more than twisted bedsheets and blankets that had been tied to one another. "This is...kinky."

"Mikoto that's sick," Izumo said with a groan as he flicked his friend on the forehead, shaking off the look of disapproval he got as a result. "I must have hit you too hard."

"I'm gonna kick your ass when I have the chance," Suoh grumbled as he stared at his second in command, "why would you stop me?"

"Isn't it obvious, Mikoto-san?" Yata said with a sigh as he sat down on the end of the bed, "we couldn't just let you leave and do something reckless while you're still this sick. It's our job to protect you a-"

"Actually it's my job to protect all of you," Mikoto corrected.

"Well if we would have let you go you would be dead by now so how could you protect us then?" Yata snapped, eyes narrowing dangerously as he punched the sheets beneath him. "Forgive me for what I'm about to say but we can't afford to lose you, you're sick Mikoto-san. You're going to wind up _dying_ at this rate and it seems like you're the only one who won't come to terms with this!"

"Since when did you come to terms with it, Yata?" Izumo mumbled awkwardly, "you always blindly followed what Mikoto said but when I asked you to help me restrain him you didn't even think twice about it. I don't know what's gotten into all of you lately but it's giving me a headache."

Mikoto frowned.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're an idiot sometimes," Izumo seethed, "you really don't get it, do you Mikoto? You've been acting up ever since Anna told you to inform us of her vision and it's definitely not like you to resent your clansmen for trying to help save your damn life. If you can't accept the fact that we love you, that we're your family, then why did you even make HOMRA in the first place? Isn't our clan about bonds that run thicker than blood? About doing everything and anything we can to protect and help one another? Why does it seem like you've forgotten that lately? The Colorless King will be captured and maybe then we can get our King back, right now I don't know who you are."

Mikoto's body began to shake with an emotion he hadn't felt in ages, he refused to show it so he did the only thing he could think of. Pointed to the door.

"Get out and leave me alone."

"Mikoto are you ser-"

"Out." He commanded, eyes searing a brilliant red as he fought off the loss of control he felt rising in his chest. His clansmen shook their heads, their eyes glimmered with emotions the King promised he'd never see again after this moment. Was it rejection? Or was it sadness? It made his heart hurt and his eyes sting, but he continued to hold his ground.

"Let me know when you're done acting like this and maybe then we can talk," his best friend said as he escorted Yata and Tatara out of the room, he swore he heard the blond tell Anna to go back to her room but he lacked the ability to care at that point in time. As soon as the door clicked shut he brought his shaky knees to his chest, letting out a labored breath as he buried his head on his bent legs. Tears tried to pry out of the corner of his eyes but he willed them away, refusing to cave in to the useless emotion that was sadness.

It had been over five years since he had shed a tear and he knew that wasn't healthy but he wasn't prepared to break that streak. He hoped Munakata would find the guy that had been causing him such pain and worry, hoped the man would be locked away and that he could recover and breath again, that he could fight against his own doomed fate without the fear of losing one of his closest friends and even himself.

Mikoto's short temper and anger issues were nothing more than a ruse at the time. Instead of getting upset, hurt or sad, he got angry to cover it. It was as unhealthy as his pack a day smoking habit but he swore bottling up emotions did more damage than the cigarettes did. Each word his clansmen had said to him had been equivalent to a knife being pushed deep into his heart, he knew he was acting up- even for him- and knew it was pushing the bonds he had made with everyone but he was doing it to shelter and protect himself. But all he had wanted was to protect them, and according to Anna he would have been a failure.

He felt like a terrible man and an ever worse King.

His heart slammed into his chest, his head swayed in protest and his eyes stung like they had been set ablaze and he continued to fight off the voice in his head that told him to just _let it all go._ He wouldn't be so easily swayed, it wasn't in his nature. This was just the illness and stress talking, he wouldn't give in to it.

He wondered if his clansmen felt his rising emotion, if they felt this great deal of pain and worry that he felt now.

He felt like he never had any privacy. Everything he did or felt was registered with his clansmen in their strange supernatural way, if he was in danger, they knew, if he was pissed, they felt it, if he was sad...he already knew the answer before the question crossed his mind. He briefly wondered how many of them were crying for reasons they couldn't explain or if they were fighting past it like he was, yet hurting with a pain that wasn't theirs to feel. He hated that aspect of being a King, he didn't push away emotions and humanoid actions for his health, but rather for everyone else's sake. If his clansmen were crying for him, he didn't know but it made him hurt all the worse.

He bit his lip out of frustration. Damning the stupid emotions that tossed and turned in his mind like the roughest waves the sea could produce.

He didn't want his clansmen to worry about him or see him in such a state, but he realized now that by doing so he had really made the situation worse. If anything they were more worried about him than ever. Mikoto wondered if they thought they had lost the man their King once was for good. Izumo's words cut the fresh wounds in his soul swifter than the speed of light and he wondered if he could fight off this sense of uselessness and doom forever. Maybe his friend had been right after all.

Being a King didn't mean he wasn't human, too. He doubted anyone understood that. He let his thoughts drift to Reisi, and he wondered if the professional looking Blue King ever had a break down. Reason told him that of course he did, but one would never guess it from looking at him. Mikoto promised himself he'd never ask either, he didn't want to leave his own trials and tribulations on the table for discussion.

Since Mikoto had become the Third King he had made it a point to be brash and apathetic, void and impending, but he had neglected his own feelings for so long that he couldn't help but think that it made him weak at heart. The old Mikoto Suoh didn't run from how he felt, he followed his heart and did what it told him to do, the newer version of himself just let the overwhelming power at his fingertips do all the talking. It was as much of a burden as it was a gift. It consumed everything and everyone and it was bound to consume him, too.

 _"Powers exist to protect."_

He couldn't fight it forever. It was too great of a burden for a man to carry alone, it was meant to be shared amongst the people who devoted their lives to their King but it didn't make it any easier of a burden to carry.

He had never been a great King, he had never changed his violent temperament and rash ways for he was the very depiction of violence, he was not allowed to be human. He couldn't afford it.

Mikoto pushed himself off the bed, eyes scanning himself over in his bedroom mirror as he ran his hands through hair in a desperate attempt to get it off his forehead. He fought tears back the entire time but took pride in the fact not one of them ever escaped his eyes. Part of his mind called him a fool for it, the same part that had urged him to let go, but Mikoto knew he couldn't do that. In a time where everything he cared about was at stake he refused to be that shallow.

He'd save his tears for a time he'd really need them, though he hoped that day would never come.

0o0o0o0

"God this sucks," Yata sniffled as he continued to wipe tears away from his eyes, "why can't we go upstairs and be there for him? Mikoto-san's never been like this before."

"Because Yata, he needs his space." Izumo answered weakly as he leaned against the bar, a frown marring his face as he covered his HOMRA marking with his left hand. "Mikoto does this to himself, he thinks being an emotionless robot is the way to protect people and he's just now realizing why that doesn't work out. He's doing this to himself for no reason, I don't know why but it's always been hard for him to accept the fact he has people around him who will help him and care about him."

"I think it's because King's afraid that he's going to hurt the people he loves," Tatara said with a light cough, taking a tissue from the box as he wiped his eyes. "He's always been hotheaded but his temper soared whenever he became a King, but he always shielded us from it. His anger was always directed at other people and maybe that's why we thought it was okay, I can't believe I didn't notice how badly King has been hurting...why does he insist on suffering in silence?"

Kamamoto entered the bar quietly, sitting down the bag of medicine he had bought as he approached the group, tears sprung into his eyes almost instantly. "Is Mikoto-san okay? Why am I crying?"

"He's going to be fine, Kamamoto." Izumo promised as he grit his teeth, "he's just really upset at the moment...and Tatara I can't answer that. We've been friends since childhood and he's always been this way. I think it's just his defense mechanism."

"Do you think King tries to be strong all of the time for our sake?"

"Yes, I think he does everything the way he does because he values us and our emotions more than his own." Kusanagi replied bitterly, "he's...he's always secluded himself to protect other people's feelings but he never has cared about his own. I don't think he does it intentionally, but he ha-"

"The Colorless King is gone."

All bleary eyes in the room drifted to the staircase, where Anna stood with her marbles in her hand, her eyes overflowed with tears.

"What do you mean?" Tatara inquired as he turned around in his chair, clearly distraught at hearing the information.

"His location is now unknown, it keeps bouncing all around the map. There's no way I can find him at this rate," Anna cried out, gripping the marbles in her hands even tighter, "I can't find him...it's useless."

"It's not useless, Anna." A strong yet concerned voice boomed from behind her, Mikoto swayed back and forth as he climbed down the stairs, eyes bloodshot and irises red from the impact of illness and stress. "You did all you could, I'm still proud of you. Don't feel guilty over this, there is nothing we can do but wait." He picked the girl off the ground with minimal effort, ignoring her cries of weak protest as he sat her down on the couch, wrapping the blanket he had used earlier around her. "Just relax and please stop crying."

"But Mikoto you're sad..." she began but was silenced when her King patted the top of her head, shooting her a weak but comforting smile.

"I want to apologize for how I've been acting, I'm better now."

The words rang like a church bell throughout the room, each of the clansmen soaking in the words while their King hoped they would clear the tension and air that seemed to have fallen over them in the most unwelcoming of ways. Izumo was the first to speak afterward.

"Mikoto I didn't know this was bothering you so much...forgive me for what I said earlier."

Yata gulped before opening his mouth to speak as well, "and me too. I guess our emotions blended with yours and just made the whole situation a lot worse than it normally would have been. If you ever need to talk to us Mikoto-san I hope you know we're here for you. Always."

"King..." Tatara mumbled as he stood up from his seat, walking over to Mikoto with wide eyes. "Please stop doing this to yourself, it's not your job to be an emotionless robot, you're allowed to feel...it's what makes you human." Suoh looked at him with a frown.

"I would do anything for you all, I would give my life for one of you in the blink of an eye, offering up my emotions so I can protect you is the least I can do."

"Mikoto-san you say this like you know what's best for us," Yata said as he swung his legs off of his chair and approached the two older men in the center of the room, "I think I speak for everyone here when I say that this feeling we have now is much worse than what we would feel to see you show something other than anger... We owe you so much, you do everything for us, I don't know why you think you don't...you're the best King we could ever ask for...I just wish you knew that."

"They have a point Mikoto, you may be a bit brash and might have the fuse of a matchbox but when all is said and done we couldn't ask for a better King." Izumo said with a sad smile, "you've always been like this, I'm starting to think you're afraid of yourself."

"Maybe so. The stress of this whole situation has been so taxing. I...I would be a complete failure as a King if I couldn't protect the things that mattered the most to me. HOMRA is all I have, you all are my legacy...I don't have anything else. I guess I should have asked you all what was best for you rather than assume that I knew. I've changed a lot in the last few days...maybe it's been even longer than that but I see now that it wasn't for the best. I'll be a little more open for now...it was just the thought of capturing the bastard that had me so worked up." Mikoto sighed as he crossed his arms.

"Besides that, the fact you were going to be killed on my turf where you should have been under my protection is what bothered me the most. What good is a King that can't even protect his people?"

"It's not your job to protect us all of the time, we always have a part of you with us." Tatara said happily, the tension in the room disintegrating as the King's mood started to shift for the better. "You shared your color with us so we could protect ourselves, if anything it would have been my fault for approaching some stranger on our rooftop. I'm a bit too trusting with people."

Mikoto couldn't help but smirk.

"You are one weird dude."

The collective laugh in the room shook off the remaining tension and the usually lighthearted atmosphere that flooded the bar had returned. It was then that the bells on the door chimed and in walked Kōsuke and Eric. Both sniffling but waving happily as if they were relieved that everyone else was all right and nothing bad had happened. If they didn't understand the situation they thought nothing of it.

Izumo sent a text out to the other members of HOMRA, informing them that everything was all right and that there was no need to worry before he called Seri and regretfully informed her that Anna had lost sight of the man claiming to be the Colorless King. The Blues were apparently disheartened at the news.

"Tatara will you sing for us?" Anna asked in excitement as the remaining members of HOMRA filtered in the room, Yata was cooking dinner for everyone while the rest of the clan sat in the front of the now closed bar, waiting anxiously for the food. Once a week they always got together to have dinner, it was one of the few rules Tatara had made with Mikoto's approval, and he had to admit he liked the idea. His clansmen were happy to be around one another and he was happy to have them all around him, safe and sound.

Mikoto let his thoughts travel for a moment as Totsuka accepted Anna's request and began to play a song on his guitar, his voice carrying notes across the bar, nearly lulling him to sleep. Mikoto didn't necessarily live at HOMRA, yes he had a bedroom here, as did Kusanagi and Anna, but he had an apartment on the other side of Shizume City as well. One he hadn't been at in weeks, before they even knew about the danger they were facing. He didn't stay there all too often but he did miss it every now and again, now was one of those times.

His apartment allowed him to escape the stress of his every day reality and without having access to such a retreat made his anxiety levels heighten, he was sure Anna missed it too, seeing as she lived with him. Though the young girl seemed to have no qualms about staying at HOMRA, she had always said she was happy wherever she was as long as she was with the Red King and the other members of HOMRA, so he knew he didn't have to worry about her being homesick.

Tatara's voice pulled Mikoto out of his revere as a rather beautiful part in his song came about, Mikoto relaxed into the couch, his eyes slipping shut peacefully as he focused on the smells coming from the kitchen and the words rolling out his his clansman's mouth. It was all too perfect, no, it was exactly what he needed after having such a piss poor day. His health seemed to be improving the longer he rested and he wonder if his Sword of Damocles would begin to heal if he implemented these restrictions more often. If so, he was willing to do it until he was well again.

He felt a bump on his shoulders and opened his eyes to look at Izumo, who offered him a cigarette. "You haven't smoked all day, maybe that's why you were so on edge."

Mikoto laughed quietly as he accepted the smoke, using a lighter to light the tobacco for the first time in over seven years.

"Thanks," he said quietly as Tatara's song ended and the members of HOMRA showed their approval by giving him a round of applause, as if on cue, Yata came out of the kitchen, balancing several dishes in his arms.

"Kusanagi-san can you sit the pot holders on the bar? This stuff is heavy." Misaki whined as he shifted awkwardly in his spot, Izumo sighed and walked over to help him while the others talked amongst themselves about how excited they were to see what Yata had cooked up for them this week. Yata was the best cook in HOMRA, Tatara being a close second but not focused enough on it to be better than the leader of the Vanguard. On days when the Red King was hungry, he would kill an entire city off if it meant Yata would cook dinner for him. It wasn't something he was entirely proud of but Suoh couldn't cook to save his life.

After everything was laid out Yata began lifting the lids on all the dishes, ranging from bowls of noodles to perfectly cooked steak and vegetables, there was even a few plates of fish and sushi along with white rice. Mikoto didn't understand how he had cooked all of the food that fast but he certainly wasn't complaining.

"Anna I made you some chicken and wild rice in case this wasn't what you were in the mood for," Yata said with a smile as he rushed back into the kitchen, grabbing one last dish that was surely meant for the young Strain. Anna's eyes lit up.

"Thank you, Yata!" She said happily as she took the dish, her favorite foods happily in her hand.

"There's some sweets in the back, too. I'll get those when everyone is done eating." The skateboarder announced proudly as he removed the all black apron he was wearing and hung it back on the kitchen door. "Dig in, boys." He said with a wave as he made his way over to the couch, looking at his King quizzically.

"Mind if I sit with you?"

"Not at all, I'm going to get some food first though." Mikoto answered with a small smile as he stood up, finding it easier to do so than it had been the past few days. "Are you not going to eat?"

"I will when everyone else is done, I've been snacking the whole time I made it anyway." Yata said with a slight blush as he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, "I made your favorites, I didn't know if you noticed that."

"I did," the King replied as his smile grew a bit wider, "thank you."

"Anytime," was his short and simple reply, leaving the Red King free to eat as much of the massive amount of food as he pleased. Despite what one might thing, Mikoto waited until everyone else had their food before he helped himself to half of what was left, which ended up being two plates worth in the end. After he set those down on the U-shaped coffee table, he went back and got one last plate, handing it to Yata who took it with a smile- mumbling a "wow, thank you..." under his breath.

"Don't mention it," Suoh replied as he mimicked his clansman's actions, bowing his head a bit before they all began to devour their food. As suspected, Yata's cooking was still the best he had ever had. Everything was cooked to perfection and the different flavors all complemented each other in ways Mikoto didn't even know was possible. The wine Izumo offered him went with it exceptionally as well. All in all, he swore it was the best meal he had ever. Much better than the breakfast he had consumed that tasted all the same due to the sickness that had plagued him.

"Well Yata, you've outdone yourself this time. This food is amazing," Izumo said with a sincere smile as he worked on his last piece of steak.

"Yeah you're going to have to teach me how to make all of this!" Tatara exclaimed in earnest as he stuffed a piece of sushi in his mouth, a crooked smile coming to his lips when a piece of rice got stuck to his chin somehow.

Kamamoto was too busy eating to compliment the chef but gave his thumbs up in approval, much like everyone else did in return. Mikoto swore Anna devoured her food, he had never once seen the young girl eat that fast in her life. He was honestly impressed with it all. Looking to his left he spared a glance at Yata who munched on his food quietly, a content look sparkling in his eyes despite his silence.

"It was all great, thank you for making all of it. If this was supposed to raise my mood it did the trick," Mikoto stated after a moment of observing his third in command. Yata's cheeks dusted a pink color in embarrassment but the happiness reflected in his eyes at the King's compliment couldn't be hidden.

"That was my intent, I'm glad you're feeling better now Mikoto-san. I was really worried about you."

The words pained the Red King for reasons that stretched far beyond guilt.

"Well I'm feeling a lot better now, don't worry about me so much. Everything will work out in the end, I'm sure." Suoh replied with a click of his tongue, "if you want to watch a movie with me later you can. I think I'll probably watch one in my room after everyone leaves and Anna is in bed for the night."

"I'd love too," the younger man replied with a brilliant smile. "Thanks Mikoto."

The drop of the -san in his name made him chuckle in slight victory, and the Red King couldn't help but think that maybe the day hadn't been that bad after all.

0o0o0o

"Anna's in bed," Mikoto said with a yawn as he came back into the main part of the bar, not even surprised to see Seri and Munakata standing in the doorway. Everyone else, minus the few who were staying at HOMRA had already left for the night as well.

"You're looking a lot healthier, Suoh. I'm glad you took what I said to heart," Munakata said with a crooked smirk as he made his way closer to the bar, asking Izumo for a glass of water while Seri called out her usual disgusting order. "May I buy you a drink?"

"I get drinks for free, Munakata." Suoh replied with a sigh as he walked over to the bar, standing behind Yata and Tatara who appeared less on edge than they usually would in front of the Blues.

"Don't tell him that Mikoto, if he wants to pay for what you usually drink for free then let him." Kusanagi teased as he made the drinks and prepared a glass of Fireball Whiskey for Mikoto, the Blue King paid for his drink anyway.

"Quite disappointing results today, we were hopeful we would be able to capture him when we got the call that Anna had located him but the news that he had seemingly vanished shattered that hope." Awashima stated as she stirred her drink up and took a sip, flashing a grin to Izumo in a silent way of saying _it's perfect._

"Yeah we were disappointed too but we still have plenty of time." Tatara said quietly as he grabbed his video camera and picked it up. "Mind if I film you?"

"Not at all, Totsuka-san." Munakata answered with a laugh and a wave of his hand, Yata hissed at the reaction. "Mikoto will you let us check your Weismann levels? Earlier today we thought we detected a spike in them but unless you activated your Sanctum I don't see how that's possible."

"That's strange," Suoh covered his semi-break down with a dismissive look, "but I'm not going to go lay on that cold table again, think I'll pass."

"I can have them bring a laptop in here and we can do the scan in the comfort of your friend's bar, how does that sound?"

"Fine."

"If that monkey comes in here I'm going to kill him," Yata seethed as a reminder that he and Saruhiko still hated one another to the core. Mikoto sighed and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Leaning down to whisper in his ear.

"You know he's going to be the one to do it, this is his specialty. I won't ask you to remember our current position but they are our allies for the moment, think before you do something to push their buttons."

Yata's face flushed.

"Sorry..."

"Don't apologize, just ignore him."

As if on cue, a very nervous looking Fushimi entered the bar, laptop and a bundle of sensors in his hands. Munakata thanked him before ordering him to stay in order to collect the equipment again when they were done, he even instructed the former HOMRA clansmen to help him apply the sensors to the Red King's skin, which Mikoto let him do without a word of protest.

"You don't have to be so nervous," Mikoto mumbled teasingly as Fushimi applied a few sensors to his chest, "you were once one of mine, you know. Regardless of what has happened it's not like I hate you." The last part was whispered so only he and Munakata could hear it.

"I see," was Saruhiko's mousey reply.

"I think it was for the best anyway, you and Munakata seem to get along well and heaven knows a hot head like me could only really be surrounded by hot heads like Yata. I'm sorry things didn't work out but I still wouldn't change our current situation. If you ever need anything you know you can give me a call."

"Mikoto-san?" Fushimi looked a bit dumbfounded at the information he was hearing while Munakata actually looked pleased with his _friends_ vocalization.

"I mean it," Suoh answered with a yawn, "just because you're not on our side doesn't mean I want something bad to happen to you. I take care of my own, past and present. Plus, you did at least ask for permission to leave HOMRA, which I appreciated. So yeah, I'm a phone call away if old man Munakata doesn't want to come save your ass should you ever get into trouble."

"I-I...thank you."

"Don't mention it, just stop looking like a deer caught in the headlights."

"Well Suoh, your readings are looking a lot better than they have been." Reisi said as he examined the screen on the laptop, "why if I didn't know you I would assume you were stable."

"Watch it, Munakata." The Red King hissed as the eery red glow in his eyes multiplied tenfold.

"Easy Suoh, I didn't mean to offend you. On a similar note, if you rested your aura for a bit after all of this was said and done there might even be a chance for you to remain a King and not kill everyone in Tokyo."

"You're serious?" Fushimi asked out of curiosity as he glanced over his new King's shoulder. "Shouldn't we ask to see his Sword of Damocles? I mean it's a bit risky considering he's been recovering from illness but if we could get him to draw enough power from the Dresden Slate to actually manifest the sword then we could get a visual representation of his health. If his Sword of Damocles isn't crumbling apart like it usually is and there is a possibility that he could maintain his status as a King without killing himself then this would be information we have never know about before. Hell, I don't even see how it's possible."

"You have a point Fushimi, but I'm not the one you should be asking."

Mikoto and Munakata exchanged a smirk, as if teasing Saruhiko was one thing they both loved to do. Somewhere across the bar Yata cackled at the irony of it all.

"Mikoto-san, would you mind stepping outside and activating your Sanctum?" Fushimi mumbled under his breath, the horror of it all written on his usually condescending face.

"Not a problem, you boys stay in here." Mikoto instructed as he peeled off the sensors with help from his ex-lover and ex-clansmen. He fought the urge to vomit at the realization.

"I'm coming with you," Yata proclaimed as they had made their way to the door, there was an anger in his eyes but Mikoto could tell he was trying his best to contain it, "in case it's too much for you. You're just now starting to feel better, I don't think it's a good idea."

 _Lie, you just don't trust them._ Mikoto wanted to say but didn't feel like starting an argument about it, so he waved his third in command on, telling him to tag along if he felt the need too- which Yata apparently did because he followed them out the door instantly.

After Munakata spoke to his team in the van, and Seri who joined them, he gave Mikoto the all clear to activate.

"Just focus your energy solely on demonstrating your power, don't actually launch it at anything if that's possible."

Mikoto nodded in understanding as he took a deep breath, Yata didn't leave his side, clearly completely unafraid of his King's power. His aura first glowed in his eyes, radiant and brilliant in the darkness of the city despite the lights. Next it flowed from his feet to his fingertips, smothering him in flames as he desperately worked to contain it, he had never done so before in his life but the red that surrounded him obeyed, shooting a pillar into the sky as his Sword of Damocles came into view. It cleared around him, allowing him to steal a glance up at the gigantic sword of legend that demonstrated the old saying, _with great power comes great responsibility_.

"Perfect, Suoh." Reisi said all too happily as he climbed into the van for a moment, emerging with a tablet that likely had all of his data on it. "Notice anything different?"

"It looks a little less...broken," Mikoto said, half in awe and half in disbelief, "are you serious? Just one day of rest has caused this?"

"It would appear so, your levels are no longer fluctuating but they are still very high." Munakata said as he approached the Red King, careful not to get to close to him while had that much power flowing through him. Getting caught off guard was not his style. "But they are better than they were previously, I recommend you and your clan take it easy for a month after this situation is handled and done with, you might even be as good as new after that."

"Ah," Suoh mumbled in response as he stared up at the sword, a slight fear of it falling plaguing his mind.

"Have you learned your lesson in all of this?"

"What?"

"That maybe you should stop acting out around the clock, maybe then you could deteriorate at a normal rate like the other Kings." Munakata sounded all too happy to make that jab and it took every ounce of will power that he had not to roast the Blue King alive for it.

"I'm not making any promises."

"Of course not."

"Well if that's all," Mikoto began as he called off his aura, watching his sword burst into red crystals that floated down from the sky like snow, "Yata and I will be going back inside."

"That's all yes, we will see you tomorrow if we have any new information. Remember to take it easy, Suoh."

"Ah," the Third King yawned as he slung an arm haphazardly around his clansmen, "come on Yata, let's go watch that movie."

"Uh sure thing, Mikoto-san."

0o0o0o0o

"This movie isn't nearly as good as I thought it would be," Mikoto admitted as he kicked his shoes off, relaxing back into his headboard as he reached for his glass, that had more Fireball in it. Alcohol wasn't good for someone who was recovering from being ill, but despite that the Red King drank it like water. Needing something to take the edge he felt away.

"Yeah I don't really care for it either," Yata agreed with a sigh as he turned the volume down a little bit, "Mikoto could we talk for a minute?"

"Sure thing, what's on your mind?"

"Well...it's just that...I want you to know that you don't have to go through all of this alone."

Mikoto's eyes widened in surprise but he nodded his head in understanding.

"If you ever need to talk about anything I want you to know you can talk to me. I might not be the wisest or the calmest but if you ever get tired of talking to Kusanagi-san or Tatara then I hope you know I'm always here for you." Yata pulled his knees to his chest, "it's the least I can do for the man who gave me a purpose."

"You say that like you never had one before," Mikoto pointed out as he glanced over at his companion.

"That's because I didn't," the words took the King by surprise, "the Monkey and I did nothing but just barely get by. My family has never had the desire to claim me as theirs so it was always just him and I against the world. We were starving half the time, exhausted all the time, and just...existing when we met you." Yata smiled sadly as he took his beanie off of his head, running his fingers through his hair afterward. "When Kusanagi-san said we could follow you guys that day I had never been that excited in my life.

I mean you have to understand how it looked at the time. Here was some badass looking guy who just melted a glass bottle and his friend had invited pitiful me and the Monkey to tag along with them...with you. If I had known just how incredible life was going to be from that moment onward then maybe..."

"Do you feel guilty over Saruhiko leaving?"

Yata bit his lip.

"He said it was my fault but I don't know what to believe. He said I had forgotten about him the moment you and I shook hands...the moment I became a part of HOMRA. But I don't get it, he was a part of us, too. He never wanted to take part in conversations or do things with the guys so he expected me to sit out just because he wanted too. I don't get it and I doubt I ever will. All I know is he's a traitor, he vowed to do everything he could for you and HOMRA in exchange for his power but it turns out he was just a greedy Judas prick an-"

"Yata..."

"Sorry sorry, he just gets me really worked up." The teenager sighed, "as I was saying, I don't know if I ever thanked you for what you did for me but I appreciate it...from the bottom of my heart. If I had to do this all over again and I know I would have to lose the Monkey in exchange for you and the guys then I wouldn't do anything different."

"You sure you're feeling all right, Yata?" Mikoto asked as he extended his hand out to place it on the younger man's forehead. "I've never known you to be sentimental."

The laugh that met his ears brought a smile to his face.

"I can be a bit sentimental at times, I guess."

"Guess there's a lot of things I'm yet to learn about you." Suoh commented as he dropped his hand and tilted his head back so he could look up at the ceiling.

"Same goes for you, that's why I said I wanted to talk to you more. I guess I just want to know more about you, honestly." The blush that rose to Yata's cheek brought a smirk to Mikoto's face, "I mean...I just..."

"Yata, when you say something you should mean it the way it is. Don't feel the need to try and cover what you've said with a lesser version of it. Stop worrying so much, I'm not going to judge you for saying how you feel."

"Thanks Mikoto," Yata paused only so he could look over and make eye contact with his King, "for everything."

"Don't even mention it."

"You want to finish this shitty movie?" Yata suggested with a raise of his eyebrows, Mikoto couldn't help but laugh at the bluntness.

"Why the hell not?"


	4. Kerosene

**A/N: First part of this is written from Yata's point of view, for a change, and the latter part will be back in Mikoto's POV. There's a whole lot of fluff and feel good stuff in this chapter to counteract all the dark drama we've had so far...but of course that's not going to be all there is, gotta progress this story somehow. ;p**

 **I know in the K anime a few things don't happen until after Decemeber 7th but that's not gonna work for this story so I just wanted to point that out. XD**

 **Also, thank you to everyone who has left comments/kudos! That really motivates me to write so it's extremely appreciated! 3**

 **Enjoy!**

0o0o00o0

"Hey, wake up."

Yata peeled his eyes open slowly, pupils adjusting to the daylight that filtered in through the windows on the other side of the room. He pushed himself up on his elbows, a realization dawning on him almost immediately as he came face to face with the half asleep face of his King.

"Mikoto-san! I didn't mean to fall asleep in your room," he yelped in panic, heat rising to his face in utter embarrassment. He didn't remember falling asleep, but he had been equal parts exhausted and comfortable during the last part of the shitty film they had been watching so he wasn't too surprised he dozed off. He could only wonder if Mikoto had fallen asleep before or after him, if it was the latter he didn't understand why the Red King didn't kick him out and tell him to go sleep in the rec room.

"S'okay, you don't have to get up but be a bit more quiet," Suoh mumbled with a smirk as he rolled on his side, facing the leader of his Vanguard. Yata relaxed back into the mattress, albeit reluctantly.

"Sorry..." he grumbled under his breath, mimicking his King's actions so they were looking at one another. He desperately tried to fight off the blush that rose to his cheeks but it was no use.

"You looked really comfortable so I didn't want to wake you," Mikoto said, unknowingly answering the younger man's question. "I know the rec room's couch isn't the most comfortable but my bed is pretty amazing. I would know, I spend 18 hours a day in it."

Yata couldn't help but burst into laughter at the statement, it wasn't like the King to make jokes but his snarky remark about himself was pretty much the same thing to the younger man's ears. Suoh let out a chuckle himself as he watched his companion wipe tears from his eyes.

"You're right about that, this bed is heavenly. My bed feels like a brick," Yata said after he regained control of his breathing, "I literally have to put two old comforters on top of it to make it semi-tolerable."

"How do you cope?"

"Some of us don't hibernate daily like you do, Mikoto."

"You got me there, I can't deny that."

"So," Yata began as he stretched out his legs a bit, "how are you feeling today?"

"A lot better, actually." Mikoto answered with a sigh of relief, "I think everyone being conscious of how much they relied on the Red Aura has helped me tremendously."

"Can I ask you a serious question?"

"Ah."

"What is the Red Aura like?" Misaki bit his lip, "I mean I kind of understand it but at the same time I don't think I do. I get to feel a fraction of what it's like, but you were the one chosen by the Dresden Slate to posses it, you're the one who feels it the most...so...yeah...how does it feel to you?"

Mikoto sighed again, a grim looking sweeping over his usually passive face. He didn't speak for a moment, as if he was having to strain to think of words to actually describe what the power that coursed through his being felt like. It did little for the Vanguard's concerns.

"It's incredibly powerful, in short," Suoh started as he propelled himself upward, sitting with his back against the headboard though he continued to look the younger man in the eyes. "Do you want to hear all about it or the condensed version?"

"Everything you're willing to share with me."

"Okay so let's start from the beginning, there are no secrets between you and I. As far as I'm concerned if you ask something I'll give you an honest and full answer. You're not just a clansmen of mine, Yata. You're a friend, too."

 _If he smiles like that one more time I'm going to have a heart attack._ Yata thought to himself as he lightly shook his head, _yeah, like that's going to clear the thought._

"When I first found out I had this power I didn't feel any major sense of shock or anything, I think I knew I was different since the time I was a kid but I guess everything...just made sense when I found out about my Aura. I remember thinking to myself, _well this explains why I'm the way I am._ For as long as I can remember I've always had a really short temper, it made me feel inhuman a lot of times. People would always say I had anger issues or something akin to that but I knew better than that, the hatred I felt always grew with no particular reason behind it, all I knew was I had the urge to destroy and that was what I did. I didn't even question it.

Kusanagi and Tatara were around the first time I _awoke_ as a King. It's a bit blurry for me now that I look back on it but I remember one thing just as clearly, I felt like I was dying. The heat that surrounded me not only set ablaze everything in my wake but burned at my insides, and the entire time that was happening I had no control over myself or what I did. I remember thinking that I had to fight it with everything I had, that I had always been a fighter so this was just another conquest, and after a short internal battle it deactivated and I passed out from the strain of it. Needless to say they were both astonished at what they had witnessed. I think it shocked them even more than me."

"I never imagined it would be like that for a King, for some reason I always thought a King would have instant control over it." Yata said quietly, showing that he was still very much interested in what the older man was saying.

"I wish that would have been the case, but no, it's pretty hard. For a few days after that I was an unstable mess, I sat in the rec room here and was almost constantly engulfed in my Aura. I was too terrified to do anything other than sit there, fearing that I would destroy everything around me if I did anything else...but eventually it subsided and I learned how to suppress the urges it gave me. I got into a fight a few days later and it activated on it's own, like it wanted to protect me from any harm...I was mortified with myself. I had seriously injured those people without even having to lift a finger...

I remember coming back to HOMRA and sitting on the couch, Izumo knew something was up but didn't say anything to me about it but Tatara wasn't having any of it. I warned him not to get to close to me out of fear of hurting him but he just shook his head, punched the palm of my hand and told me that my powers were there so that I could protect people...not harm them. I've always struggled with myself to remember that, though. But that's enough about that. Anyway, the next thing I did was take Izumo and Tatara as my clansmen then from there...well we just kind of picked up everyone else. That's all I can really remember about being a King in the beginning."

Yata nodded his head in understanding as he kept his eyes intently trained on the older man. He hadn't expected Mikoto to launch into every detail of his past from when he became a King but he was happy to hear it. He had begun to realize throughout their conversation that he really didn't know that much about his King at all. He was all but desperate to change that.

"But back to what you were asking me about," Mikoto said with a wave of his hand, realizing how far off topic he had strayed. "My Aura...it has a mind of it's own, really. There's a reason most Red Kings don't last very long. The urge to destroy everything needs constant suppression, and sometimes it becomes unbearable...painful. The Red Aura is a lot of things, warm being the most predominate, powerful, and protective being the next in line, but the one thing I hate to describe it as- but feel obligated to say- is it's..." Suoh frowned. "Terrifying. Especially if you can't control it."

"Mikoto?"

"I've said to much, I'm sure. But try not to worry about it, I've dealt with it for this many years and as long as I rest every now and again I bet I could get another five years out of life before I absolutely lose it." Mikoto let out a bitter laugh, a sound that made Yata's stomach churn. "Maybe longer if I find a good way to let off some steam every now and again."

"Please don't say things like that..." Yata pleaded as he brought his knees to his chest, "you're gonna be around for a long time, Mikoto. I know you are, you're too stubborn to die."

"Stubborn yes, but immortal...not so much. If what I said upset you I assure you that wasn't my intention, I was just being honest." Mikoto replied with a sigh, "I'm not going anywhere any time soon so you can wipe that worried look off of your face. I told you, I've got control of this. I've contained it for this long so I have no doubt that I'll be able to continue to do so."

"I wish you didn't have to feel that way though...it must be scary..." Yata laid his head on his knees, "feeling like you could explode at any moment."

"That's why they call Totsuka a beast tamer," the Red King replied with a chuckle, "I don't know why but he's always been able to calm me down whenever it gets hard to contain. Both him and Anna, really. Maybe it's because they're so levelheaded."

Yata felt a pang of jealousy course through him, but he couldn't pinpoint why he'd feel such a thing. He, like most of the members of HOMRA, was brash and violent. He wasn't passive like Totsuka and he certainly didn't see violence as a last resort like Anna did, it only made sense that they would be able to sway their King's mood. Someone like him would just infuriate him even more, he was certain of that.

"Mikoto you're the strongest man I've ever met without a doubt, not just anyone could contain that much destructive power and put it to good use, too. I don't think I'd ever want to be a King, not after hearing all of that. I take my own power for granted sometimes, I'm lucky I don't have to deal with the same things you do on a daily basis. It's...incredible that you have the strength to do that." Yata scratched the back of his head, almost forgetting he had peeled his beanie off of his hair the night before- almost having a panic attack as he thought he had lost it.

"You trying to flirt with me?" Mikoto deadpanned, raising an eyebrow in suspicion as his Vanguard's fact shot a deep red color at the accusation.

"What!? No! I was just saying that you...I mean that...-"

"I was kidding, you can breathe again."

"Oh right," Yata internally smacked himself, _that was totally not cool._

"Your reaction was pretty much answer enough," Mikoto said with a laugh as he sunk back into the mattress, eyes closing but not hiding the look of satisfaction that swept over his facial features.

Yata laughed weakly, desperate to try and cover any and all embarrassment he felt. If he was honest with himself he'd say he didn't know why Mikoto, as of late, had made him a babbling idiot but Misaki was starting to put two and two together. The more he learned about his King the more he wanted to know, the more he wanted to show his support and devotion. He didn't know how he never realized it before but he was basically a stranger to his King, and vise versa.

The leader of the Vanguard had a realization as he looked over at his King, who was obviously trying to sleep despite it being time to wake up, he didn't know when his desire to become like the Red King had morphed into a desire to...well he didn't know what it had changed into but it was a feeling that was almost familiar. Like he had done this before, felt this way at another point in time. It was as if there was some sort of mental block that prevented him from seeing what the new forming emotion was, though.

Whether it was a sense of belonging or a sense of something more he wasn't sure. It made his heart pound in his chest and his blood burst throughout his veins with new found purpose. The hook felt better than any adrenaline rush but it was too foreign to pinpoint the cause. Ever since he had started his stay at HOMRA things had been different for him. There was always the slight fear he felt at the thought of losing a friend and his King, but he knew he had to put all of his faith in Mikoto and sadly enough, Munakata as well.

Why the Blue King was so...eager to help the Red King was beyond him and he found himself unable to think of any real reason why he'd want too. Munakata always called Suoh a friend of his but Yata couldn't comprehend how two men that alleged hated each others guts could be classified as anything other than enemies. _Frenemies? Doubtful._

"Mikoto?"

Curiosity eventually got the better of him and he couldn't stop himself from asking.

"Ah?"

"What's the relationship between you and the Blue King?"

Mikoto's eyes snapped open at the question.

"What do you mean?"

"Well...it's just that you guys are always at each other's throats but at the same time you two can act civil with one another? I don't get it, If he's your enemy I don't see how you guys can have casual conversations. I could never do that with the Monkey." Yata blabbed awkwardly, instant regretting having asked in the first place as his King's face grew irritated.

"Munakata and I go way back," Mikoto answered with a sigh, pinching his brow as the irritation he showed moments ago faded into something more akin to distress. Yata raised an eyebrow. "I've known him since I met Kusanagi, needless to say we never really got along too well but at one time we got partnered for a project in our last year of Junior High and after that we weren't complete strangers. He went off on me about my laziness during the project and after that I wanted to prove the nerd wrong so I worked my ass off to finish my half of it."

Misaki nodded slowly, silently urging him to go on.

"We got an A and that project ended up saving my ass from flunking that class so after that I couldn't bring myself to hate the guy outwardly. As time went on and we got older we didn't talk or anything but if we saw one another we'd always at least acknowledge the other person. But when I became a King his face became intolerable for some reason, it was like I sensed the sleeping Blue Aura inside of him before he had even known he was the one destined to have it. When he arose as the Blue King we set aside our mixed past and waged war with one another. Almost on instinct."

"So you don't hate that guy?"

"No, I hate him." Mikoto said with an honest laugh, "but the hate I feel isn't mine, it's my Aura's hate for his. Red and Blue don't go together, never have and never will. I wanna roast him alive and he wants to slice me in two, it's just part of the precarious natural order of the Kings."

"Did the previous Blue and Red King hate one another?"

"More than anything." Suoh rolled over to look at the younger man, "so when Munakata calls me a friend it's because at one point maybe that's vaguely what we were. He's just holding onto the past, though. I wouldn't consider him a good friend or anything, we were never close but I do care about him in some sort of way."

"There's so much I don't know about Kings," Yata whined as he threw his head back in frustration, "why does everything have to be so complicated with Kings? Nothing is the way it seems."

"Try living it," Mikoto chuckled, "I've probably talked your ear off."

"No not at all, I asked you so I wanted to hear all of it." Yata said with an honest smile. Truth be told he was happy to hear his King speak so openly and freely. He had always thought Mikoto had been a bit quiet, minding his own business or trapped in his own thoughts but Yata now understood that the Red King was always waging war with himself. Restraining, fighting, and protecting himself from the very Aura that coursed through Yata's body, too. Everything made sense now, whether Misaki wanted it too or not. "I like listening to you."

"So I think it's only fair that since I answered a few questions that I get to ask you a few things as well."

"Sure thing, Mikoto-san. Anything you want to know."

"What was your life like before you joined up with HOMRA? Minus the parts I already know of course," the question was sincere but it was unintentionally harmful, as well. Misaki hated thinking about his past, let alone talking about it, but Mikoto was right. He did owe him after having listen to his life story for the last twenty minutes, and for the Red King he'd do anything- even if it hurt him.

"Well I lived a relatively normal life as a kid, I was always a reckless brat but I guess that's pretty much normal for young boys...I guess things didn't really change until my father passed away unexpectedly." Yata watched Mikoto's eyes drop, almost like he regretted asking after seeing how hard it was going to be for the younger man to talk about it. He wasn't going to stop now that he started but he appreciated the silent sentiment, even though the King hadn't intended for him to see it. "There was an accident at his work and he got crushed, I was six when it happened but I still remember it all so clearly.

My mom tried to play it off that she would be okay but she never seemed to be happy after that, and I hated that more than anything. I hate when people lie about how they feel...and being the idiot I am I started really acting up in school and at home. She never had the energy to scold me for it so it got worse and worse, until one day I punched a teacher in the arm after he had tried to get me to stop doing something. Being so young, seven at that point, my teacher didn't report it to the principal, maybe because he wanted to help me and not have me expelled...that I never asked. He did call my mom though and they had a meeting about me."

"After that I started seeing my teacher outside of school more often, my mom would invite him over for dinner and I think I was too stupid to understand what was going on. I didn't even realize they had begun dating until they told me they were getting married. They were shocked, like they expected me to have put the pieces together and since I didn't it was my fault that I was upset at their announcement. I'll honestly never understand why things happened the way they did, but they eventually got married and had two kids. I'm really not that close to any of them, I was never home after they had my younger sister, Megumi. Then Minoru came about and by that time I had already met the stupid Monkey and I was spending most of my days with him."

Mikoto nodded his head in understanding.

"At 14 the Monkey and I were skipping class in favor of hanging out in Shizume, I eventually dropped out but he finished school online. At 15 I left my parents without a word in the middle of the night, they had their little happy family and it was becoming clear that I was just an unwanted nuisance. They had my younger siblings and I was just a painful reminder of my dad, a man dead and gone with no place in my mom's heart anymore. They never asked me to do anything with them, never even asked me to eat dinner with them- which they did every night. So I packed my bags and the Monkey and I slept in this piece of crap van we had managed to get from a junkyard for thirty thousand yen.

After awhile of hating life too much to leave the van, we found work doing odd jobs for people around the city and made enough money to buy a shitty studio apartment in the worst part of Shizume. We slept on blankets on the floor, had no furniture other than a TV the Monkey had brought and our games systems. It wasn't a great existence but it was better than what I had had with my parents...I think that was the first time since my dad died that I was honestly happy...we also had hardly any clothes so our school uniforms became the best attire we had. Hence why we were wearing them the day we met you."

"I didn't realize you had already been through so much," Mikoto mumbled quietly, a sad look in his eyes. "That's hardly fair for someone your age."

"I'm 19 Mikoto, I'm sure someone out there at age seven has it worse than I ever did. I've deserved everything that's ever happened to me and as I've said before, if I had to do all of this over again just so I could end up here, at HOMRA, then I would do it in a heartbeat. This was worth all of that torture." Yata stated with a bitter sigh, "so when I said you gave me a purpose I mean it, I never had one before I met you. You and the guys gave me a chance to be alive, not just exist. It was the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Yata bit his tongue, he felt...relieved. He had never openly discussed his past with anyone other than _Saru_ so it felt like a weight had been lifted off of his chest. There was a pain that came with speaking of his past, and it was only because it was something he didn't feel like he could tell Mikoto that made him suffer through that in silence. But like hell would he admit he had been in love with the Monkey when they had lived together in their shitty apartment. It made Misaki feel sick to his stomach just thinking about, he wasn't proud of that time in his life and he regretted ever feeling such a think for that traitor, he'd never say it aloud again.

"You look troubled so I'll save my last question for later," Mikoto said with a small smile, "I guess we should probably get up anyway."

"Yeah, it's already nine o'clock...they're probably wondering if we're dead." Yata replied wistfully as he reluctantly climbed off the bed, hands smoothing down his clothes.

"You're probably right about that," Suoh answered as he too got out of bed, walking into his bathroom with a mutter under his breath about needing to fix his hair. Yata shook his head but waited for him, ignoring the voice in his head that laughed at him for acting like a _loyal dog._ The Red King was back in record time, looking like his usual self and a helluva lot more healthy than he had looked earlier in the week, Misaki was thankful for that.

"All right let's go," Mikoto said with a yawn, walking past his jacket in favor of not wearing it for once. Yata followed him without hesitation, the pair descending the stairs at a quick rate until they were in the main part of the bar. A few patrons were in the building along with the usual suspects as well. Before Yata could take a seat on the couch someone caught his arm, stopping him in his tracks. Mikoto.

"Thanks for talking to me earlier."

Yata's heart felt like it would give out.

"No...thank you, Mikoto-san."

0o0o0o

Four uneventful days passed without incident, and Mikoto's overall health had soared far beyond it's normal capacity. He felt brand new, like he could breath again without worrying about burning everything around him. His clansmen had not used their Aura far beyond what was recommended and he was reaping the benefits from it. He hated to admit it but Munakata had been right...and Fushimi's inquiry on his Sword of Damocles had proved true, as well. It still had a few cracks in it, but the original deep red color of it had returned, replacing the burnt brown that had once taken over it.

It no longer crumbled and broke apart in the sky, but rather held it's form. Even the dull orb in the center of the sword had regained it's red hue. The Blues thought it was a miracle, the Gold King wanted to do more research on this himself, and Mikoto...he thought it was life changing. If resting his Aura meant he could heal some part of himself then maybe he'd be the first Red King not to end up causing a tragedy.

There were parts of his sword that would never heal. A crack represented a great burden a King had taken on and those were still thought to be non-repairable, Mikoto couldn't see those going away any time soon either so he agreed with that theory. His sword had three cracks in it, two were small but still present, and then there was one that ran across the width of the bottom half of the sword.

He remembered when he got it as if it was yesterday. It was from the day he had rescued Anna. It was a day he didn't like to think about in great detail, mainly because he remembered how painful that day was for the young Strain. Thanks to the actions of one man, a man Mikoto was tempted to murder should he ever cross paths with him again, Anna had lost the only family she had had left. But also because of that day Mikoto gained an important part of himself, he couldn't imagine life without Anna now. She had truly been a blessing to him, despite how much suffering the young girl endured she was a ray of light in his otherwise dimly lit world. She made him feel sane, like he had a purpose besides destruction because it was up to him to provide for her and to protect her.

She was HOMRA's very own Princess, after all.

It was early morning on the first of December when Mikoto woke up, he found himself unable to fall back asleep and instead of laying around he marched up to the attic of HOMRA and pulled out a box that was labeled _Christmas._ No one associated with HOMRA was religious but the holiday was still important to them, it was more about coming together and spending time together than anything and though he knew it was a bit early Mikoto had the urge to begin planning how they would decorate the bar this year.

A part of his mind screamed that it was because he was afraid of the events that would transpire in the next few days, depending on whether or not they could prevent all of this from happening or not -that thought always weighed down on his mind- but Mikoto shook those thoughts away. He was going to live to see Tatara and Anna celebrate their favorite holiday, he just had to be strong and remain calm.

 _Heh, like that's possible._

"King?" Tatara's tired voice came from the stairwell as the man's tired frame appeared in front of the red head, "what are you doing up so early? It's only six."

"Couldn't sleep," Mikoto answered honestly as he patted the ground next to him, offering his pajama clad friend a place to sit- which he did without hesitation.

"Already in the Christmas spirit?" Tatara mumbled as he rubbed at his eyes, still clearly trying to shake the reigns of sleep away.

"Ah," was all the King offered as he opened another small box inside of the larger one, it was an ornament that had a group photo of HOMRA wrapped inside of it. "You think it's too early to put the tree up?"

"King..." the cameraman began as he leaned over to look at the photo, "no I don't think it's too early. Why not make some memories while we still have the chance? When everyone wakes up we can nag Kusanagi-san until he caves in and lets us all decorate the bar together."

"Tatara..."

The man gave him a nervous smile.

"I know, King. I'm scared, too."

0o0o0o0o

"Princess be careful!" Kamamoto wailed as he chased after Anna, who had managed to find the star of the tree and was desperate to put it on the top before they finished decorating the rest of the bar. Usually the star was the last thing they did, but she seemed all too eager to make it the first. Mikoto sighed and put down the box he was carrying so he could reach out and snatch her up before she could hurt herself trying to reach the top of the eight foot artificial tree, she yelped in surprise as he hoisted up as high as he could- allowing her to put the red glistening star at the very top of the plastic tree.

"Pretty," Anna mumbled in amazement as Mikoto gently placed her back on the floor, shaking his head at the girl's antics.

"Try to be a bit more careful, Anna!" Kamamoto pleaded as the young girl ran off again, looking for anything she could do to help prepare the bar for the holiday that was still weeks away. She always got excited about Christmas and the fact they were decorating early this year didn't seem to worry her at all, instead she was all too happy to transform the usually industrial looking bar they called home.

"King, smile!"

Mikoto turned around halfway to see Tatara's camera in his face, the eager camera man recording everything he could to save the memories for as long as the film should last. He didn't necessarily smile like he was instructed to but he did offer a small smirk before he got back to moving the boxes around, trying to get everything organized before Yata came back from the corner store. Off in search of more Red ornaments as some of theirs had been broken during Mikoto's less than gentle transport from the attic to the main floor.

"Can you guys not make a mess? It's a Friday, the bar is gonna be busy today." Izumo seethed with a pinch of his brow as he put his arm out to stop Anna from running so Kamamoto could finally catch her. "Mikoto after close tonight I'm having a meeting so we can crack down on finding this guy, Seri and the Blues will be joining us, which I presume is all right with you."

"Ah," Mikoto offered with a wave of his free hand as he finally moved all the non-broken ornaments to their place in front of the tree. From there Anna, who seemed to have calmed down if only a bit, Kamamoto and Mikoto worked tirelessly to get the rest of the decoration done. Izumo recommended decorating the tree with everyone after close and before the Blues arrived and Mikoto agreed to it without much thought, Tatara kept filming the whole charade as if the others didn't need help at all, which had the Red King seething at him at certain points.

After hanging the stocking from the lone mantel above the fireplace they had put a few cheesy decorations on the walls and put a few discs with Christmas tracks in the jukebox, per Anna's request. Candles were put on the strange u-shaped coffee table, red and black plaid blankets were spread out on the backs of the couches and a few paper snowflakes Anna had made the previous year were hung around the bar _with care_.

Mikoto tried to call Yata as they wrapped up but his phone went straight to voice mail, something that pissed the Red King off beyond belief. He swore Misaki was asking for it, it being getting yelled at for bailing on them in favor of shopping and turning his phone off so he wouldn't be questioned as to why he hadn't returned after nearly and hour and a half. But on the other hand, Mikoto felt troubled.

They were in the middle of a crisis, one that could be resolved at any moment should the alleged Colorless King be found, and he figured out of all people besides himself and Tatara that the fiery leader of the Vanguard would want to know about it immediately should it happen. He couldn't see why Yata would have his phone and watch off, but it made him feel on edge for reasons he couldn't begin to describe. After another thirty minutes, Mikoto was down right worried.

"I'm going to look for Yata," he announced as he stood up from the couch, everyone in the bar that knew their situations- everyone who wasn't a patron- gawked at him.

"King you can't leave, it's too risky. Yata will be fine...he's probably just trying to avoid doing any work." Tatara offered weakly, as if he didn't believe the words he said as soon as they were put out there in the open. Izumo came out from behind the bar and gave his best friend a mixed look, eyes bordering on fearful and concerned.

"Be careful, Mikoto. I'll make sure nothing happens while you're away, over my dead body will I let this guy in HOMRA should he try to enter while you're out." Kusanagi said as he placed a supportive hand on his shoulder, "I've got a bad feeling about this, too. Go, make sure you bring him back safely. I'll ask Munakata to get over here at once to stand guard, if you will, and I'll have Anna work on trying to locate the Colorless King." The words were whispered so no one but Suoh heard him.

"Get these people out of here and close the bar, check those cameras you had installed and keep everyone down here with you." Mikoto answered grimly as he walked past his friend and rushed upstairs to retrieve his coat, once he slid it on he was out the door in a hurry. Legs carrying him at a brisk walking pace as he headed to the place Yata had set out for hours ago, when he got to the front of the store he felt a chill rush down his spine. The glass on the outside of the building was broken. Police tape lined the sidewalk so he couldn't get around it, and the owner of the store was chatting with the cops- obviously describing what had transpired before this had happened. Mikoto's eyes searched the crowd for Yata but as suspected, he was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, the Red King focused on what the elderly man was telling the police.

"I don't know what else I can tell you, the man came in, shot the glass up, and then tried to rob the place then some boy with a skateboard started a fight with him and managed to take him down and get the gun in the blink of an eye. He chased the guy off, before laying it on the counter and running off after him. That's all that happened."

Mikoto felt a little less uneasy than he had before he left HOMRA. Yata knew how to handle himself around armed civilians, Suoh had made sure to teach his clansmen how to fight and how to handle themselves in such situations. _Don't be afraid of these people, remember you are more powerful than they could ever hope to be. Never show your enemy fear,_ was what he always told them when they trained because it was true. His clan had nothing to be afraid of, _except the Colorless King_ his brain shouted back at him but he refused to acknowledge it.

A ring from his phone pulled him out of his thoughts and he quickly answered it, it was Kusanagi.

"Yata's safe and sound, said he stopped some armed robber than had to flee the scene before the cops showed up so he rode across town to get ornaments. Munakata found him a minute ago and is bringing him back to the bar before he heads over to the scene to clear some things up. His phone died so that's why he didn't answer, he said he forgot to charge it."

Mikoto's sigh of relief was so loud it seemed to have startled Kusanagi who mumbled a "you okay?" Into the receiver.

"Fine, I'm just going to have words with him when I see him."

"You seem worked up," Izumo teased, "I know you thought the Colorless King got to him because I honestly had that thought for a minute myself, but you seem more worried than usual."

"Shut up."

"Whatever you say, Mikoto. See you in a few minutes, ne? Be careful!"

Mikoto hung up without saying goodbye, stalking back in the direction of the bar with a blank look on his face as he maneuvered through the crowd.

0o0o0o

"Well I'm glad everyone is safe and sound, the bar looks lovely, by the way." Reisi Munakata exclaimed as he patted Yata on the back, the younger man visibly tensed. "Make sure you charge your phone, Yata-kun. You don't want to make your King worry too much, do you?"

"Ugh...no I don't." Misaki answered quietly as he shot Mikoto an apologetic glance, the Red King frowned.

"I didn't think so," Munakata turned around and waved, "I'll see you all later tonight, first I've got to go clear up the situation down the street. Great work, Yata-kun. Without your assistance the situation could have turned out a lot different."

Mikoto bit his lip, "thanks for all your help, Munakata."

"Not a problem, Suoh. Take care now."

When the Blue King left the room the tension grew thick. Anna, Kamamoto and Tatara looked nervous while Mikoto and Izumo looked ready to kill Yata, who was so shaken up by the ordeal that he couldn't even stand still.

"I'm-"

"Enough, Yata!" Kusanagi screamed as he slammed a glass down on the bar, "you had us worried sick. It's your job to keep in contact with us at all times, especially during this situation. Do you have any idea how worried we were? Mikoto rushed out after you, putting himself in grave danger so he could go look for you all because you couldn't remember to charge your phone or your watch. What has gotten into you?"

"I'm sorr-"

"Stop, just stop and think about what you put us through. You have got to stop acting so irresponsibly. I can't believe you did thi-"

"Enough," Mikoto cut Izumo off with a heavy sigh.

"He needs to hear this, Mikoto. He's never going to stop being so rash unless someone tells him why what he did was wrong." Kusanagi bit back as he slammed his hands down on the bar, hard enough to make everyone in the room minus the King jump.

"Then let me talk to him," Suoh replied back bitterly, "Yata, upstairs. Now."

"Sir." Yata mumbled weakly before stalking to the staircase, carefully placing down the bags of bulbs he had bought before trudging up the stairs without another sound.

"Izumo I know your intentions are good but Yata probably didn't think about what he was doing. I don't want him thinking that it's wrong for him to help people in life threatening situations, I told the boys they could use my Aura in such a circumstance and I'm the one who sent him out in the first place so he was just following orders." Mikoto said with a yawn, the whole situation doing nothing but wearing him out. "Just let me handle this. Try to calm down a little, you're scaring Anna half to death." He whispered as he walked past the bar and ascended the stairs, taking them two at a time. Yata, to his surprise, was standing in the hallway. Obviously having heard their conversation.

"Come on," Mikoto directed as he wrapped an arm around his clansman's shoulders and let him to the rec room, Yata was still tense and quiet when Mikoto pulled the door closed. After a moment of silence he spoke.

"I'm so sorry, Mikoto-san. I didn't mean to worry you and the others like this...I just wanted to do something right for a change and I didn't even think about the consequences...I'm so so-"

Yata's words hitched in his throat as a strong pair of arms pulled him forward, his body flush with his King's as Mikoto pressed a firm hand into his back and the other rested gently on top of his head. Yata blinked a few times, hardly believing that Mikoto was the one holding him right now but the shock soon faded away and he wrapped his arms as tightly as they could go around the larger man's waist, burying his face into the Red King's broad chest.

"Stop apologizing, I'm just glad you're okay."

Yata blinked away tears, his body still lightly trembling from his earlier confrontation with Kusanagi. Sensing this, Mikoto began to trace circles in Yata's back, repeating the notion until the trimmers faded away. The Red King let his eyes slip close as he continued to hold the younger man against him, the Aura in his being practically screamed at him to release it for reasons he couldn't explain but he couldn't fight it away either. Soon they stood in each other's arms, flames wrapping around them in a comforting way until Yata was no longer visibly upset, when that time came the flames disappeared almost on instinct.

 _Maybe they don't want to just protect and shelter me but everyone around me, too._ Mikoto thought to himself as he let one of his arms drop to his side, the other going to lightly push on Yata's shoulder so he could look the younger man in the eyes.

"Everything is going to be okay, Yata." He promised though the words sounded less than reassuring, sensing this the leader of the Vanguard tensed once again.

"Mikoto..."

Suoh hugged him again.

0o0o0o0o

"Ta-da!" Tatara's sing songy voice echoed through the bar as he put the finishing touch on the Christmas Tree, a huge smile on his face as he proudly displayed a photo he had just took of everyone present at the current time. It wasn't a large Polaroid but they had somehow managed to get everyone in the photo and Tatara had managed to run back and get in the photo before the shutter went off, so on the tree the photo went.

 _December 1st, 2012, HOMRA! :D_ Was written on the white label.

"Looks great boys," Izumo concluded as he finished up his nightly cleaning with help from Misaki who had just finished sweeping the place up- as punishment.

"Ah, it looks even better than last years." Mikoto added with a smirk as he reached for his cigarettes, grabbing a lighter as well out of new found habit.

"Scepter4 just pulled up," Kamamoto announced with a sigh as he finished dragging a few tables together, creating a place for everyone to sit for their meeting.

"Remember to be civil for now, you guys. They're really working hard to help us out here so the least we can do is be halfway kind to them," Kusanagi said as he grabbed a crate full of their finer glasses and a few bottles of wine. "And Yata you're not to kill Fushimi, do you hear me?"

"Yeah yeah," was the universal response he received from the other members of HOMRA. Yata merely grimaced. Not like he expected anything different.

"Good evening, Suoh and everyone else," Munakata said all too happily as he and the rest of the Blues filtered into the building, some clearly as unhappy as the members of HOMRA.

"Have a seat," Izumo offered as he carried the glass crate to the table, Yata grabbing the wine bottles and sitting them down beside the glasses. "Help yourselves."

"Thank you very much, Kusanagi-san." Munakata said as he and his clansmen sat down, all on the same side of the table. Mikoto moved forward, his clansmen in tow as he took a seat in front of Munakata, Izumo sitting to his left in front of Seri and Yata to his right who sat in front of Saruhiko.

"Seri."

"Kusanagi."

"Monkey."

"Mi-sa-kiiii."

"Enough." Both Munakata and Mikoto groaned at the same time, earning snickers from the rest of the table as their two flustered third in commands mumbled apologies under their breath.

"Can we get down to business?" Seri asked with a click of her tongue, her hardened eyes softening a bit when Kusanagi offered her a glass of wine.

"Of course, Ms. Awashima." Reisi answered as he pulled a tablet out of his his briefcase, a rather large hologram popped up when he unlocked the screen. "As you can see we've mapped out all of the exit and entry points in the city that are used most often, we've had road checkpoints going since this time last week but to no avail. We've also ran his photo through every data base we could think of, even schools and private businesses but we've been unable to locate this man. It's like he doesn't really exist."

"We've been unable to find out anything either, I've got half my boys on the street looking for him but they've been unable to find anyone matching his description. Anna hasn't been able to find him either." Mikoto replied with a sigh as he clasped his hands together on the table, "what does the Gold King make of all of this?"

"He's understandably concerned and has been doing investigating on his own but he remains as clueless as we do. We don't even know what powers the Colorless King has this time around which makes this situation all the worse." Munakata answered, "out of all the Kings to try to pull such a stunt it just had to be the most unpredictable. I swear we always have the worst luck."

"Tell me about it, this whole situation has been a mess since day one." Suoh replied with a frown, "I don't know what else to do at this point other than wait. Maybe we can trap him on December 7th."

"What do you mean by trap?" Reisi inquired as he shut the hologram off.

"I mean I'll keep everyone in HOMRA here with me, obviously to lure him in like the prediction says, though I'm not putting any of my clansmen in harms way. But why don't you Blues stay around that night as well?" Mikoto leaned in, "if we're only going to get to him by following the vision then he will be here the night of December 7th, who else is here is up to us."

"So you suggest Scepter4 stays here that night and we can detain him that way?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm suggesting."

"So you would just want to put my clan in harms way, wouldn't you?"

The tension in the room grew even thicker.

"Not my intention, but you always like to twist my words to push my buttons." Suoh replied bitterly, leaning in even farther as Reisi did the same. Both of their eyes glowed. "But you could do it, Munakata. The Blue King could keep an eye on me and my clansmen on that night, and should the Colorless King appear and should I get violent then you can capture him and then restrain me by force." Mikoto put too much emphasis on the last word, his aura blossoming from his skin until everyone in the room -besides the two Kings- was nervous.

"Tempting offer, Suoh but what if I don't want to stay here that night? Being that close to you frankly makes me ill." The snort that came from Scepter4's side of the table didn't go unnoticed by the members of HOMRA who all yelled at the Blues for the lack of respect they had. Izumo and Seri both looked more than exasperated at the scenario.

"Do you want me to kill you?" Mikoto asked blandly, as if tensions in the room weren't high already. "'Cause that's the way this is going. I will level Tokyo because if I see that bastard the first thing I'm going to do is drive my Aura into his heart until he bursts into ashes." He paused, "but who knows, my Sword of Damocles looks pretty good at the moment. Maybe the burden of killing another King won't cause it to fall."

"Suoh this man is innocent, he hasn't committed any crimes yet so you can't just kill him. We will detain him and take him to the Gold King, it is up to him what we do to this man. But I promise if they give me the all clear to execute him that you will have a say in how it's done. Does that sound like a deal?"

"I like to handle all of my problems personally, like you like to handle yours."

"Then why are we even here having this discussion?"

Mikoto felt the tension in the room skyrocket.

"I'm starting to ask myself that same question."

"Do you want my help, Suoh? Or do you want me to let you be an idiot who can't care for anyone other than himself?" The Red King knew that look, while it was foreign to everyone else at the table he knew that look he was getting. This wasn't just about the Colorless King anymore, Reisi was taking this personally. Mikoto knew he was being an idiot, the looks his clansmen were giving him were all pleading, begging him not to sever the only help they had at the moment and he knew then he couldn't do that to them. He couldn't let them suffer because of his pride...no matter how much he hated that.

"Will you be here that night or not?"

"Scepeter4 will be here on December 7th should no new information arise before that time."

"Fine, then this meeting is done." Mikoto stated as he stood up from his chair, quickly enough to almost knock it over. "I'm going outside to smoke."

"Mikoto what do you mean outside? We smoke in here all the time?" Kusanagi yelled after him but it was no use, the Red King was already out the front door, leaning on the brick so he was barely seen through the glass. His ears burned as he heard his best friend apologize on his behalf, as if that was going to make amends for the things he had done and said. It wasn't just about the situation anymore. It was about Munakata and him on a different level.

Anger boiled in his veins at the thought. He didn't love Munakata and he never would, why it was so hard for the Blue King to accept was beyond on him. It wasn't like the Red King hadn't slept with a lot of people, he lost count after awhile of how many people he had gone home with. Why Munakata had to act like he was different than any of them was beyond Mikoto's level of understanding.

"Mikoto?" Yata came out of the door with his red jacket-usually worn around his waist- on for a change, trying to block out the cool winter air without help from the Red Aura within him. "Can I stand with you? I can't bare being in there right now."

"Ah," Mikoto said dryly as he looked over at his third in command, technical third in command really, Tatara didn't fight so he didn't really count. The younger man smiled a bit as he stood next to his King, his eyes were focused on the city lights that glistened in the darkness. Suoh smiled, not really knowing why he felt so happy to have company in the moment but knowing he couldn't deny it. Mikoto wondered when he had got so lonely, being surrounded by friends and having casual flings wasn't enough to make him feel less alone and he knew that, yet he did it anyway.

"Mikoto are you hungry?"

"Starved."

"Can I cook you dinner when everyone leaves?"

Suoh swore he had died and gone to heaven.

"I would love it if you did that."

"Sounds good then, mind if I join you when it's finished?"

"I'd be offended if you didn't," Mikoto said with a smirk as he took a drag off his cigarette, Yata shot him a sincere smile.

"I think you've made a new friend," Suoh points out as he locks eyes with an all white tabby cat with a red collar. The cat hisses at Yata, much to both of their surprise, before coming to stand in front of Mikoto, that's when he notices a piece of paper rolled up in it's mouth.

"For me?" He asks rhetorically as he leans down to take it, to his shock the cat nods it's head and drops the letter in his open palm, Yata gawks at him as he stands back up. The cat ran off once it's job was done.

"Well it's addressed to me," Mikoto begins as he drops his cigarette and breaks the seal on the rolled up paper, unraveling it in the process.

"What's it say?"  
"Dear Mikoto Suoh,

Hello Red King, I hope all is well with you on this night and I hope that cat did it's job well enough that this actually gets delivered to you. Allow me to introduce myself, I'm the man you've been looking for. The Colorless King." Mikoto paused, his eyes narrowing as anger burst throughout every pore in his body, Yata looked at him, absolutely mortified.

"Do you think you're the only one with a Strain? Do you know how easy it's been to watch you and your daily life? Keep tabs on you and your clan? What a lovely Christmas tree, by the way. Your girl seemed very happy to put it up with you and Totsuka, perhaps she knows it will be the last chance she gets. I know what you're planning and I will not allow it. You will never catch me, you will never find me because I'm a thousand people a day. Not just one face. You will never be the death of me, but I wish I could say the same for you.

Enjoy your evening with the Blue King."

"Mikoto..." Misaki mumbled, eyes wide with terror and realization as he stared into the burning eyes of his King.

"I'm going to kill that bastard!" He roared, loud enough to alert everyone in the damn city, and HOMRA, to his rage. People from Scepeter4 and his own clan filtered outside, to see what the problem was but Mikoto was not speaking. He clutched the letter in his hand with a death grip, eyes focused on everything and nothing at all as he was utterly blinded by rage. Totsuka tried talking to him but he swore he didn't hear a word he said, the Red Aura was too restless. He was too pissed off for anyone to be able to calm him down, or so he thought.

A small pair of arms found their way around him and as he blinked, hard enough to clear his vision, he thought he'd come face to face with Anna but instead he looked down to see Yata.

"Mikoto, you have to calm down. Please, stop."

The words pulled him back into reality, where he was standing in the street with his Sword of Damocles on display as if it was a very extension of his body. Never had he seen everyone, even the usually passive Munakata, look so worried.

"Mikoto-san, please stop." Yata repeated, tightening his grip on the older man like he had done earlier in the day. "It's gonna be okay...Mikoto...please...just stop..."

And out of fear, the Red King did.


	5. Kiss

**A/N: Hey all! A lot happens in this chapter so I hope you're prepared! Thank you so much to everyone who has left feedback on this, I really appreciate it and I hope I don't disappoint you. I'm not exactly sure when I will end this story, but I'd say it's close to the halfway point now, if it isn't already there. Could be more or could be less, that just depends on how much I can fit into the chapters. ^^;**

 **Prepare for some fluff and candid romance, and a whole lot of other stuff. There's a lot of dialogue in this chapter but the next one will be almost all action, so stay tuned. There's also some OOC moments in this, but yet again, I try to write an explanation in the story for those occurrences.**

 **Enjoy!~**

0o0o0o00o0

" _ **Mikoto, hang in there."**_

It was dark, that was the first thing Suoh noticed. Whether he was conscious or not he was unsure but he could hear the voices around him as if he was still awake, still aware.

" _ **C**_ _ **heck his levels!"**_

" _ **Wait...his levels haven't changed!"**_

" _ **C'mon Mikoto, don't let this get the better of you."**_

" _ **Mikoto...your red..."**_

" _ **Dammit, why is the Sword of Damocles glowing like that?"**_

" _ **Should we contact the Gold King, Captain?"**_

" _ **King..."**_

" _ **Suoh, don't let it consume you."**_

Consume.

It was all Mikoto felt capable of nowadays. Consume his last days of happiness, consume everyone's support but ignore it, consume his surroundings in fire, consume himself in the end. He didn't understand why that was all his strong hands could do but it bothered him.

 _I want to protect, I want to heal and shelter. I don't want to fade away. I don't want to burn out...I don't want anyone to die...I don't want to die._

It was his deepest fear. One he kept locked away inside his heart, afraid that if he ever told anyone he would have to accept and confront it. If he pushed it away, kept denying that he, of all people, was afraid then he wouldn't have to face it. He wouldn't let that fear become a reality, he couldn't afford that. He wasn't allowed to show fear.

" _ **Dammit Mikoto, please wake up!"**_

 _But things are so much better here,_ he thought to himself, the blackness around him felt comforting. More so than the red he was constantly engulfed in. He felt at peace, for once in his life he felt...wrong. Something was so wrong with everything he was seeing, everything he was feeling. He wasn't dead. This wasn't some sort of purgatory that he had been sent to, he was still alive, he could still feel his body but he couldn't figure out why everything else was black. Were his eyes closed or was he face down somewhere? Why did everyone sound so worried about him?

 _I'm fine, can't you see that I'm fine?_

" _ **Munakata what's wrong with him? Why isn't he waking up? He's staring at Yata like he's got three heads but the rest of him is unresponsive. His eyes won't react to light, either."**_

" _ **He could be in shock, maybe too much power was drawn from the Dresden Slate when he activated his Sanctum and his body couldn't handle it. Kings are only human when we get right down to the point, not even we could endure the power of the Dresden Slate at a level beyond what we're used to."**_

" _ **Will his sword fall?"**_

" _ **If this keeps up...it might. He's beyond unstable right now.**_

 _No._

He couldn't allow that to happen, this darkness was just an illusion. That's when it dawned on him.

 **You think you're the only one with a Strain?**

That was all this was, it was an illusion. As for his Weismann levels...well...he could worry about that once he got himself out of this mess.

His Aura seemed to notice his distress and eventually it appeared to him, all it took was a single ounce of his power for the darkness to fade and for reality to come back to him. His Sword of Damocles dissolved, red crystals cascading down from the sky while his glowing eyes and skin returned to normal. He felt...

"He's stable again," came a call from someone in Scepter4, but Mikoto could barely register it. The words he heard had been true, when his vision cleared he was staring down at Yata- who looked terrified beyond belief and was trembling in his arms.

"Mikoto-san," the boy cried out, squeezing him as tightly as he could as a collective sigh of relief fell over the group. The Red King bit his lip.

"One moment I'm in control again and the next I'm trapped in an illusion made by a Strain," Suoh smirked, "how lovely."

"A Strain?" Munakata asked, successfully drawing the Third King's attention away from Yata and on to him.

"This cat gave me a letter then ran off but I'd bet my life on it still being around, it must be-"

"It can cause perception illusions," Anna's small voice cut him off as she ran up to him and hugged his leg, Yata still not having let go of his waist. He slung an arm around the skateboarder and placed his other on top of the young girl's head.

"So that..." Mikoto looked at the girl next to him, Anna nodded her head.

"Your Sword of Damocles was glowing a red color but that was just another illusion, it never really changed at all. You were in control but that Strain wanted to make it look like you weren't." Anna said grimly, the words she spoke sounding like they came from someone far beyond the impressionable age of ten.

"Well if I didn't know any better I'd say someone was trying to get me to kill you, Suoh." Munakata announced with an out of place smile, "I did fear that your sword was on the breaking point for a moment, if you hadn't have came around and the illusion showed it falling then I would've had no other choice."

"Ah," Mikoto mumbled as he tightened his grip on the two people that clung to him, both of them tensed. "Good thing we aren't that stupid, right Munakata?"

"So do you want to tell us what made you that angry or do we just have to guess?" Kusanagi asked with a sigh as he approached his friend. Mikoto removed his arm from Yata's waist and offered the piece of paper in his hand out to the bartender who took it without a word. The HOMRA strategist read it aloud without pausing, though anger swept across his features as he recited the words.

"Well this is a bit of a predicament," Munakata heaved a sigh, "perhaps we should move back inside?"

"Ah," Suoh replied blandly, feeling unable to form any other words. Fear unknowingly had eaten him alive.

"Ms. Awashima, please take the squad and hunt down this Strain. There should be a detector in the van to help you locate it. Fushimi I'd like it if you stayed here with me, should anything happen while they are away."

"But I don't want to stay." Saruhiko grumbled though a twisted look from his King made him change his attitude rather quickly.

"You'll do as I say."

"Tch," was all the Blue King got in response.

"Stupid Monkey," Yata grumbled as he peeled himself away from Mikoto, albeit reluctantly. "Sorry I clung to you like that, Mikoto." The blush on his cheeks was more than apparent. Finding himself unable to form words the Third King just shook his head and slipped his arm around Misaki's shoulders, escorting him and Anna- who held his hand- back inside the bar.

The Blues left the building in a hurry, taking the vans they had arrived in, going in search of the Strain that had caused them so many problems. The members of HOMRA left after them, desperate to look for the Strain themselves though no one instructed them to do so.

Munakata and Saruhiko followed in after the core members of HOMRA, taking two chairs from the tables that had been put together so they could move them in front of the couches the members of the Red Clan occupied. Mikoto sat with Yata to his left and Anna on his lap, Tatara sitting down beside him without a word. Shock written all over his face. Mikoto winced at the look.

"What do you want to do from here, Suoh?"

"Kill that annoying Strain."

"You know that's not going to happen but hopefully we will be able to catch it," Reisi replied as he adjusted his glasses. "But seriously, what do you want to do with this new found information?"

Anna hopped out of her King's lap and ran over to the bar, grabbing a map as she did so, no one bothered to ask who she was looking for, they already knew the answer to that question.

"Doesn't it sound strange to you, Munakata?" Mikoto began as he leaned back into the couch, "the letter said he's a thousand different people a day...what does that make you think of?"

"I'd put an input in but I feel like you might already be onto the same thing I was going to say."

"Ah, so we can agree that his power is the ability to take control of other people's bodies and use them as his own. Tch, how annoying," Mikoto seethed at the information, the Colorless King really was _one tricky little bastard._

"If this is true then we can assume he would only be able to possess a person without any Aura to protect them," Reisi "so civilians...our clansmen should be safe. If the Red Aura is anything like the Blue Aura then it will protect them."

"I hope so..." Mikoto mumbled under his breath so the Blue King wouldn't hear it, though Misaki and Tatara gave him concerned looks.

"Suoh you look like you've seen a ghost. Are you feeling poorly again?"

The Red King shook his head.

"No, I'm just a bit dazed. Carry on with what you were saying," he lied with a wave of his hand, truth be told he felt like he was going to throw up. He didn't feel sick like had a few days ago but something pitted into his stomach and made him feel ill. He felt something graze over his hand and momentarily glanced down, Yata's hand rested on top of his delicately. Reassuringly. _Yata..._

He took the hand in his own without hesitation, not thinking before he acted and not dwelling on it either. Though the leader of the Vanguard's breathing hitched no one else in the room noticed, Suoh's coat blocking their view. Not like he cared. If Misaki wanted to comfort him then he would gladly take it, this nurturing side of his third in command was new to him but unlike the past displays of affection he had received from people this one was completely innocent. Mikoto wouldn't taint it nor take it for granted.

"Though I don't believe that I will continue onward," Munakata said with a heavy intake of breath, as if he had been winded beforehand. "For the time being I think we should just carry on like we have been, I recommend closing the bar for the time being so no one besides members of HOMRA can enter, or members of Scepter4 when we are called upon."

"Are you going to compensate us for that time?" Izumo seethed, "this bar doesn't pay for itself."

"We can surely arrange something," Reisi said as he crossed his arms, "I'd also like to post guards on the roof and in front of the bar at all times, if you are okay with that."

"Couldn't I just have my boys monitor the situation since we are staying here?" Mikoto asked warily, eyes growing tired from the long and eventful day he had had.

"They could assist us but I would feel better if we had at least someone from Scepter4 here at all times. I'd do it but I doubt my presence would be wanted and I do have things I have to take care of."

"Stay here if you want, I don't give a shit." Suoh groaned as he threw his head back, "I just want this guy dead. I don't care about what happens in between. I want to rip his heart out of his chest and roast his body until it's nothing but ash and dust."

"Suoh that i-"

"He's hiding at Ashinaka High School."

Everyone in the room went quiet.

"What did you just say Anna?" Mikoto asked as he turned to face the young girl who hopped down from her bar stool, her eyes gleamed.

"He's at Ashinaka High School, since you two began talking he has been there and his location hasn't changed." The young Strain smiled, "I finally got him."

"Anna, you're amazing!" Misaki yelled in excitement as he squeezed his King's hand harder.

"Are you sure of this, Anna?" Kusanagi asked as he leaned down to look the young girl in the eyes, she smiled brightly- nodding her head in enthusiasm.

"I'm one hundred percent positive."

"Anna, have I ever told you that you're incredible?" Mikoto asked with a chuckle as the young girl ran over to him, her eyes lighting up at the words.

"You haven't," she mumbled through a brilliant smile.

"Well it's true," the Red King proclaimed as he brought the young girl into his arms, never once letting go of Misaki's hand.

"Thank you, Mikoto. I love everyone in HOMRA and I wanted to find this man more than anything. Maybe then we could prevent this from happening, maybe we could stay a family then." Anna buried her face in his chest, the words she said warmed the Third King's heart.

 _She was so afraid she'd lose us...she's already lost one family, I can't allow her to lose this one, too._

"I couldn't ask for a better kid," he announced, no longer caring if the people in the room judged him for exposing his _soft side_ , he also trusted the Blues enough not to use that against him, he knew they wouldn't stoop that low.

"So, what do you want to do Mikoto?" Izumo asked with a Cheshire grin, those words seemed to have become his catchphrase.

"We're going to Ashinaka High School, get everyone back here immediately."

"We will go as well," Munakata announced, his lips twitching upwards. "Fushimi-kun, will you call Seri and have her come back here at once? Once that's taken care of contact the Rabbits and inform the Gold King of our plans, we don't have time to wait for clearance, this will have to suffice."

"Yes, sir," Saruhiko replied with a bitter look as he stormed off outside, making the phone calls he needed too.

"Gonna break the rules tonight, Munakata?" Mikoto teased as he tilted his head to the side in curiosity. The exhaustion he had previous felt was no longer present and instead it was replaced by a rush of adrenaline, this was going to end tonight. One way or another.

"I guess I've been hanging around you too much lately Suoh, I told you the air you breathe out was toxic." Reisi stated in a joking manner, "but no, I need to help you detain this man and make sure you don't kill him. Hopefully he's in the body that meets our description but Anna, surely you can see through any ruse he might try to put up, yes?"

The young girl nodded her head.

"Good, we will evacuate the school once we discreetly locate him, that way it's impossible for him to switch into someone new. We have to be careful not to harm any innocent people," Mikoto rolled his eyes at this, as if he didn't know this information already. "Luckily the Strain that works alongside him is likely too spooked to be outside right now so our plan will be completely unknown to them. It's also rather late so the students should be asleep, this will make moving in rather easy...as for the security of the island..."

"We've got clearance," Saruhiko said as he popped his head in the door, "the Gold King was awake and had already sensed a disturbance so he and the Rabbits will be joining us."

"Oh? Three's a bit a crowd," Mikoto said with a smirk, "but I guess it'll be four of us. Now that's my kind of party." His eyes glowed in challenge.

"Four Kings haven't come together since the Kagutsu Creator Incident, let's try not to have a repeat of that day, all right?"

"I have no plans on dying," Mikoto said with a sigh, "I...I have too much to live for. Despite how badly I want to kill this guy I swear I'll do my best to contain myself. Hopefully my Aura will agree with me."

"Suoh?" Munakata's voice dropped a bit lower than usual, as if he was shocked, concerned and happy with the words that his friend had said so _easily_.

"A few people told me that I should talk more often and say how I feel without fearing how it would affect those around me," Mikoto stated as he relaxed into the couch, though he was eager to get out there and look for the guy who had been causing him such distress. "I feel like living so I just thought I'd put that out there."

Yata's fingers traced over the back of his hand in approval, and at this notion the Aura in Mikoto's body felt contained, something he found odd yet not necessarily bad. _Since when did Yata become like Anna and Tatara?_ He asked himself as he tapped his fingers on the back of the couch impatiently, Totsuka smiled at him when their eyes met.

"You okay?" He asked the HOMRA cameraman- who nodded his head slowly.

"I'm happy we found him," Tatara paused, "King I know I don't believe in fighting but I will fight if it comes down to it."

The room went deadly quiet as everyone's focus shifted to Tatara, even Anna, who was perched happily on the King's lap, went deadly still as she looked at the man next to her.

"Why's everyone looking at me like that?" Totsuka laughed, waving a hand in front of his face dismissively. "If this is a life and death situation for King and I then I will fight, even I am capable of doing it when I've been backed into a corner. We all have things in this world we have to protect, and I'm willing to set my beliefs aside if it means I can protect myself and my family."

"Tatara..." Yata mumbled, though any further comment was put on hold as both Scepter4 and HOMRA rushed back into the building, excitement and eagerness apparent amongst the Red Clan while seriousness was reflected amongst the Blues.

"Sir we are ready to move out whenever. The Gold King will meet us at the bridge that leads to Ashinaka," Seri saluted as she and the rest of Scepter4 stood in their usual formation. Saruhiko refused to move from his chair until their Captain stood on his feet and ordered him to do so.

"Mikoto-san we're ready," his boys said in unison with a pump of their fists. It was then that Mikoto dropped Yata's hand, shooting him an apologetic glance as he got Anna off of his lap as well. He rose to his feet, his other clansmen doing the same, determination surfacing in their eyes.

"Munakata, you ready to get this party started?"

The Blue King looked back at him with a smirk.

"I thought you'd never ask."

0o0o0o00o0

"Mikoto Suoh, Reisi Munakata, it is a pleasure as always," The Gold King, Daikuku Kokujōji said with a slight smile as he and the Rabbits emerged from an armored vehicle. The vans HOMRA and Scepter4 had used to get to the bridge were parked besides theirs, blocking off the bridge should anyone try to exit the island.

"The pleasure is all mine," Reisi stated with a slight bow, the complete opposite of the nod of acknowledgment Suoh gave the strongest King. "So if I may be so bold, how exactly did you find out about this situation?"

"I noticed something strange a week ago that at first had no apparent correlation to the information you had given me about the Red Clan but I became suspicious when a certain person matching your description was photographed in a rather peculiar place." The Gold King announced as he approached the two other Kings who had ordered their clansmen to stay behind them, the Rabbits made no move towards them either.

"Oh?" Munakata chided with a raise of his eyebrows, "and may we see this photo?"

"Certainly," Daikuku confirmed as one of his older clansmen stepped forward with a tablet in his hand, a hologram popped up and the photo was displayed for everyone to see. "As you can see, I found the man matching your description. Is this him?"

"Yeah, it is," Suoh declared, his fists clenching on instinct. "Where was this taken?"

"In the most peculiar of places," the Gold King announced with a serious look, "it was taken from a camera that sits on top of Sunshine 60, we were monitoring the abnormal movements of the blimp that is controlled by the Silver King, Adolf K. Weismann when we noticed this man in the window. This photo was taken at around 2:00 A.M on November 27th."

"Why didn't you inform us of this?" Mikoto groaned as he crossed his arms defensively, not at all happy about the information that had been withheld from him.

"We couldn't release this information to you prior to this moment because we feared it would put the Silver King at risk," Daikuku offered with a shake of his head. "We didn't want you to act, thinking the First King was in league with the Colorless King."

"Is he aiding him?" Munakata asked with a sigh, clearly just as irritated as Suoh, though they expressed it in different ways.

"No, but we have reason to believe something has happened to Adolf K. Weismann, please keep your eyes on the display," the Gold King pleaded as the picture changed into a video. There was an apparent confrontation between the two Kings, which later led to the man under suspicion of being the Colorless King being pushed off of the blimp. A moment later one of the Rabbits switched the video to another photo, one that depicted what Suoh presumed was the Silver King though a twisted look was marred across his face.

"As you can see, the facial expression previously worn by the Colorless King is now present in the original body of Adolf. K Weismann which leads me to believe the two of them somehow switched bodies." The Gold King scratched his head, "perhaps after he sensed movement from the Red and Blue Clans he got spooked enough to try and change into a form none of you would be able to recognize as himself. After all you wouldn't expect a King to take over the body of another King."

"There goes my theory of us being safe to move in, I suppose even the First King's Aura could not help him," Munakata replied wistfully as he shook his head. "So now we have to change our approach."

"Not necessarily," the Gold King stated with a small smile, "Weismann never engaged in combat so perhaps his Aura had grown a bit stale over time, but he is the First and Immortal King, there is nothing on this planet that could kill him." There was a pregnant pause as the clans all exchanged confused glances, "to clarify this, I believe Weismann is now in the body of the man you seek and the Colorless King has been posing as Weismann, hence the irregular movements from the blimp that usually flies the same course over and over again."

"So why would he be at Ashinaka if that were the case? Wouldn't the blimp be on the move as usual?" Mikoto pondered aloud, his brain feeling fried at the onslaught of new information he was receiving.

"It might have gone without notice but my clan invaded the airship two nights ago, Weismann was nowhere to be found but his original body was laying sprawled out on the floor, lifeless." Daikuku recounted as he moved closer to the two Kings in front of him, he placed a hand on either one of their shoulders. "His body is being held at a private location under my control, so as of now I have reason to believe that both the Colorless King and Adolf K. Weismann are at Ashinaka High School."

"Why would Weismann be at Ashinaka?" Munakata asked out of curiosity.

"I think he might have sensed the Colorless King's presence there and has gone there after him...either that or perhaps that new Strain of his has helped create some sort of fantasy land where he really thinks he goes to that school."

"The Silver King's Strain?" Mikoto growled, "the one who tried to have me killed?"

"Perhaps the Colorless King took over his original body for long enough to tell the Strain to do that, and not knowing any better they did it without question." Daikuku reasoned as he removed his hands, clasping them in front of him instead. "I have known Weismann for nearly 70 years, though we have spent a great deal of time apart I know he would never wish any harm on either of you or your clansmen."

"So how are we going to find the Colorless King if he's taken over someone new already? We can't just barge in there blind to any possible dangers." Munakata insisted as he pinched his brow, "this has gotten so complicated."

"We've already shut down access to the island so from here we will have to smoke him out," the Gold King announced, a wry smile tugging on his lips. "Might I suggest a plan?"

"Of course," Reisi decided.

"Ah."

"I suggest Scepter4 stay on the bridge and keep it closed down at all times, from here they can monitor the evacuation process and keep an eye on however many Kings should meet, preventing a repeat of the Kagutsu Creator tragedy is of utmost importance, don't you agree?" The other Kings nodded in confirmation, "would you be all right with that, Reisi Munakata?"

"That would be fine," he confirmed, sparing a glance at the Red King. "Would you mind if Anna stayed with Ms. Awashima? I believe it would be helpful to have her around should the Colorless King somehow slip by us."

"Only if Tatara can stay with them as well, I don't want either of them mixed up in this more than they need to be. Their safety is my primary concern," Suoh paused, "and I trust you Blues enough to take care of the only two people who have never caused you any trouble."

"I will have them guarded with the utmost of care, Scepter4 will not allow them to be harmed."

"Good, now Mikoto Suoh...for HOMRA...seeing as combat seems to be your clan's specialty I would like for your clan to stand guard around the island, civilians are not to be harmed by any means necessary of course, but should a confrontation arise then I believe your clan can handle it. I do expect some sort of aid in the evacuation from HOMRA as well, but your primary duty will be to guard the people and engage in combat should something go awry," Daikuku announced.

"Izumo, you'll be in charge of following those instructions." Mikoto called over his shoulder, the HOMRA strategist nodded his head in understanding.

"My clansmen will aid in waking and removing the students from the vicinity within the buildings, so to clarify, we will move from the inside, HOMRA will guard them up to the bridge, and Scepter4 will help them leave the island unharmed. How does that sound?"

"Perfect," Reisi stated with a grin. "No objections, Suoh?"

"Oddly enough I can't really think of any," Mikoto said with a shrug of his shoulders. "But what exactly will the three of us be doing?"

"What we always do, this time we will just be working together." The Gold King announced with a laugh, "the three of us will likely create quite a scene and at the end of the day I have a feeling it's our lives the Colorless King is really out to claim so all we need to do is draw him in. I have no doubts that the Weismann will appear when that happens, the four of us should have no problem taking him down."

"So are we to capture him?" Munakata asked as he pushed up his glasses.

"No, I'm afraid at this point that will not do anyone any good."

"So what are you suggesting?" Mikoto questioned, his interest well and truly peaked.

"Hopefully we can get Weismann here in time for the Colorless King to try and take one of us over, when that happens we need to lure him into the Silver King's new body before we can do anything else."

"So you mean..."

"Yes, we are going to kill him once he is in the Silver King's body." Daikuku said with a frown, "I have no doubts that Weismann will survive, he is immortal after all. I will see to it that he is taken care of once the Colorless King has been slain."

"Sir, Suoh is in no shape to take on the burden of killing a King and I fear my own Sword of Damocles would receive a crack in it should I take on that big of a burden." Reisi stated, his calm demeanor sounding more panicked as he seemed to come to a realization, Mikoto stared at the oldest of the Kings with wide eyes.

"I know you're afraid of damaging your sword Reisi, and I know Mikoto's Sword of Damocles already bears three small cracks in it so asking either of you to deal with this would be lunacy."

"Sir?"

"I will be the one to kill the Colorless King." The Gold King announced with a heavy sigh, "my Sword of Damocles remains in mint condition for I have not seen combat as often as the two of you have, I have always worked behind the scenes. I will relinquish my throne after this task is completed to ensure my health does not get worse than it already has."

"I can't ask you to do that," Mikoto hissed, "this is my problem and I want to be the one to finish it. My Sword of Damocles will not fall, another crack will not break m-"

"But it will, Mikoto Suoh. Despite how rapidly you have recovered thanks to the rest you have received your Sword of Damocles remains fragile, killing a King would be the last thing you ever did. Would you want to end your own life then possibly risk Reisi's and my own? The burden of killing a King is a hefty one. If I allowed you to kill this man then Reisi would surely kill you and if he couldn't handle the burden I would have to kill him, and then my own sword might fall. The Dresden Slate is a precarious artifact, should three, maybe even four Kings die at the same time...I'm not sure it would handle it. It reacted chaotically after the Kagutsu Incident."

"You think that would cause another Kagutsu Creator Incident?" Munakata asked against his better judgment, Daikuku merely frowned.

"No, I think that would blow Japan off of the map."

0o0o0o0o0

"Everything is in place, sir!"

"Good work Ms. Awashima, please keep me informed should the Colorless King make it past our first and second line of defense," Munakata lectured as he hopped out of the van, "and do keep a close eye on Anna and Totsuka, Suoh has entrusted us with their protection and seeing as we are allies this is a bold step in the right direction. Never before have our clans gotten along so well, let us not sever this new bond we have made by allowing harm to come to our new friends."

"S-sir!" Seri replied with a salute, though her lips twitched downward in a frown. As if she was flabbergasted at the notion that the two clans could ever be anything but enemies, truth be told they would never be anything more than enemies, Reisi knew this but still he feigned support of the idea.

"I will be heading out now, keep yourselves and the students safe at all costs. I leave everything in your capable hands," he announced as he turned on his heel and headed to the beginning of the bridge, ignoring the call from his Lieutenant. " _Good luck, Captain!"_

Reisi looked up to the night sky as he stopped in his place, waiting for the other two Kings present and their clans to join up with him before they descended into the unknown. The stars glistened in the night sky, reflecting back on the ocean around them as if to light up the darkness of the sea. He closed his eyes, marking the images into his mind as if it were to be the last time he ever saw such beauty.

0o0o0o00

"Everything is as you ordered, my Lord." One of the Rabbits exclaimed without a hint of emotion in their voice, the rest of the clan politely bowed to their leader before standing in formation, ready to advance when the signal was given.

The Gold King sighed heavily, knowing this would be his last time going out in the field for a mission, both due to his health and the fact after this he would no longer be a King. For some reason this did not sadden him, instead he felt almost relieved that this amount of power would no longer rest on his shoulders.

He had faith in the people of Japan, that they would continue to live long and prosper under the careful nature of the world that came after the war. No longer would he have to worry about such things, he had done his part and played it well. All to appease a dream of a land without fear of losing everything they had, all because of Adolf K. Weismann. If he had one regret, it was spiting that man.

When they had been friends the times were certainly filled with hardship and bloodshed that was absolutely senseless, but they had done as instructed and acted as bravely as they could, each solider and man pretending they were not afraid of losing their lives should they be disobedient. The Dresden Slate had been a glimmer of hope in the world back then, and today it was a beacon in the darkness. Weismann hadn't been wrong about it bringing peace to the land, but the natural order of things was certainly not as it was envisioned to be.

Kings were strange creatures who usually kept to themselves and each other but couldn't seem to get along under most circumstances. Daikuku never quite understood it but it had just been the way things had always been. For example, it was always Blue vs. Red. No matter if it was Kagutsu and Hibari, or Munakata and Suoh, it was just a part of the _natural order_.

Seeing the two work together now though made him realize that perhaps Weismann hadn't been entirely wrong in saying he expected the Kings to work together. He was just a bit disappointed that it took as great a threat as the one they were facing now in order for them to do so. Still, he reasoned that maybe that was just the way things were meant to be.

The Gold King was not sad when he and his clansmen set off to meet up with Reisi Munakata, in fact he felt a swell of excitement swell within him. This was the excitement of being able to see an old friend.

0o0o0o0o

"I want you all to keep your wits about you, taking orders isn't really our style but we have no other choice in this situation. If anyone should try to get in your way then burn them first, ask questions later." Mikoto commanded as he faced his clansmen, "Izumo, as always I expect you to come up with a back up plan should the Gold King's plan fail, Yata be prepared to lead the offensive if it comes down to it. We still don't know who we're dealing with here."

"Mikoto we got this, just focus on doing your part and we will do ours," Kusanagi said with a smile as he offered the King a cigarette, which he gladly accepted.

"You're right, everyone get your gear out the van then let's go meet up with the rest of them."

"Yes Mikoto-san," the clansmen said in unison as they all dashed off in the direction of the van, obviously eager to get started. Izumo followed after them, shouting at them to stop pushing each other and to be a bit more patient, it was Yata, however, that stayed behind. The metal baseball bat he usually brought with him hung from his hand that was limp at his side.

"Hm?" Mikoto asked as he lit the tobacco that was hanging from his mouth, he glanced over at the leader of the Vanguard who was staring at him intently, like there was something he wanted to say but didn't have the nerve to do it.

"If you feel something you should just say it and not worry about it afterward, right?" Yata asked nervously, eyes barely able to hold the look Mikoto was giving him. The Red King nodded his head slowly. "Then there's something I want to tell you before we leave."

"Oh?" Mikoto encouraged as he took a long drag off of the cigarette, "and what would that be, Yata?"

"Mikoto-san I..." he paused, looking more troubled than ever as if the words refused to roll off his tongue, "I want you to know that..."

Mikoto took the cigarette from his lips, walking closer to his clansmen while they still had a moment to themselves. Sensing his distress he had originally moved forward to offer some sort of reassurance but now that he was within an arms length of the younger man he felt the urge to do something else. Without hesitation and with actions faster than that of a normal mans he brought Yata's body flush to his, the hand that held the cigarette was trained firmly on the small of Misaki's back while his other hand cupped the younger man's chin, forcing their eyes to stay locked.

Yata's cheeks dusted pink, and every time he tried to speak the words that were on his mind he ended up blabbing like a fish, giving up after his third attempt. Mikoto's eyes widened in realization. He knew that look because he had seen it beforehand. Never on Yata, but on someone else he'd rather not think of, but this time something inside his stomach churned. His heartbeat quickened, a silent understanding of what the younger man was too afraid to say caused the pounding in chest to become nearly unbearable.

It made sense now. Every action came together to form a complete puzzle in his mind. Watching movies together, letting Yata stay in his bed, their embraces, his own freakout over Misaki's disappearance...everything clicked now. Right down to the moment Yata had helped him stabilize his rage in front of HOMRA and the way his Aura reacted to the warmth of Misaki's hand. A small twinge of terror ran through him.

 _No, I can't...I'm not like him at all. This isn't right. Yata thinks he's so much like me and perhaps I felt that way too but we couldn't be more different..._ he glanced down at clansmen with widened eyes, _he's too innocent...I can't...I'll only hurt him in the end. I always do._ He tried to make himself believe the last part but something else in his head screamed at him, told him that this wasn't like the other times because this time the feeling was reciprocated. It wasn't purely love nor was it akin to lust, but a strong sense of adoration and want filled Mikoto's head.

 _No, because Yata isn't like me and because he's not like the others this time is different. Everything is different. Am I finally ready to let someone in?_

"Mikoto...san?"

Suoh knew his clansmen would be back any minute, knew that there were a thousand things he had to worry about in that moment but he found himself unable to care about anything but the amber colored eyes that were locked on his, Yata looked hurt and concerned all at once. As if he was afraid Mikoto had recognized what was going through his head and froze out of disgust but the Red King wouldn't allow them to part ways like that. The urge to lean down his head became too much to ignore and so he did, tilting the younger man's chin up as his eyes refocused on his clansman's.

Their way of asking _is it okay if I do this?_ Because not even Mikoto Suoh would make an unwanted advance on someone. Yata, to his surprise, only slightly nodded his head, but that was all the permission he needed in that moment. Mikoto leaned in the rest of the way slowly, only stopping when his lips crashed against Yata's. It was delicate and the Red King kept it tame but despite that, the way the younger man's lips pushed back against his sent sparks flying in every corner of his mind. His heart felt ready to burst out of his chest at any moment and the rush he felt now made the adrenaline he felt earlier pale in comparison.

He had never felt so...alive...so human. Yata's body was lax in his arms now as their lips slowly moved against one another until they reluctantly parted, only doing so out of the need to breathe and the realization that the rest of HOMRA would be joining them in just a moment. It was with even greater reluctance that Suoh let his grip on Misaki go.

"Mikoto?"

"How about you save what you were going to tell me until after I get back?" The Red King said with a grin, "I'll have to come back if I want to hear it, right?"

"Y-yeah, you will," Yata said sheepishly, a deep crimson dusting his cheeks as he stared down at his feet, he nervously toyed with the baseball bat that he held in his right hand.

"Yata?"

"Y-yes, Mikoto-san?"

"I will come back."

Yata smiled, his eyes glistening as the deep red on his cheeks faded to a light shade of pink. "I know you will."

"Ready to go, Mikoto, Yata?" Izumo's voice boomed as he and the rest of HOMRA came back into view, weapons in hand.

"Ah," the Third King announced as he turned and faced the other side of the bridge, the rest of his clan joined up with him as Yata stood proudly to his left and Izumo took his usual spot on his right. "Let's go."

"Yeah!" Came the instant cry back, along with their usual battle chant. **"No Blood! No Bone! No Ash!"**

From there, Mikoto led them to the beginning of the bridge, meeting up with the rabbits who fell in step to the right of HOMRA, as he joined up with the Blue and Gold Kings to lead the charge onto Ashinaka High School. Mikoto felt the adrenaline rush return to him.

 _Things are about to get interesting._


	6. Kings

_**A/N: * in the chapter is referring to a line from the K side story, Lost Small World.**_

 _ **So here we have it, the climax of the first arc in this story! This chapter has a lot of twists and turns and does leave quite a few things open but I assure you that is all done for the purpose of the second arc of this story, which will remain a secret for now! The next chapter will be the aftermath of what occurs in this chapter, so all loose ends will be tied up then.**_

 _ **I hope you all enjoy this, this was by far the hardest chapter for me to write so I hope it turned out okay. ^^;**_

0o0o0o0

"The evacuation has begun," Daikuku announced as he joined up with Reisi and Mikoto, who stood at the foot of an old temple on the far end of the island. "Your clansmen have been a tremendous help in the process, Red King. Thank you for your cooperation."

"Neglecting to give me any praise?" Munakata asked with a light laugh, taking out a pack of cigarettes from the front coat of his pocket, he offered Mikoto one, who took it with a grunt of appreciation.

"You know I think Scepter4 is incredible, I've never had the pleasure of working with HOMRA, though." The Gold King clarified as he approached the two, "despite what people might say about you Reds your clansmen are all extremely helpful and kind."

"They can be, just don't piss them off," Mikoto commented with a laugh as he lit his cigarette. Reisi dug in his pocket for a lighter but stopped once Suoh flicked his hand in front of the tobacco, creating enough spark to ignite the paper which had Reisi looking impressed.

"I find that they're a lot like Suoh," Munakata confessed as he took a puff of the cigarette, "which is both good and bad. A world with thirty something mini Suoh's in it needs constant monitoring. Especially that Yata boy, he reminds me a lot of you."

"Saruhiko reminds me a lot of you, honestly," the Red King chimed in, letting the _shit_ Reisi said about his clan slide for the time being.

"Those two remind me of you and Munakata back in the day," Daikuku laughed, "in five years they will really be more like you two and that is truly scary."

"Huh I guess I never thought about that but I think you've got a point," Mikoto answered with a smirk, "they really are a lot like us."

"Suoh, that isn't a good thing."

"Tch."

"Well boys, are you ready to do your part?" Daikuku inquired, breaking up the conversation that seemed to have hit some sort of nerve between the two other Kings present, both of them nodded their heads in return. "Since we just need a distraction I'd like for you two to fight."

"You're serious?"

"Sir?"

"Well we need the Colorless King to notice you're both here so create a bit of a ruckus, that shouldn't be too hard for you two, all you ever do is fight one another." The Gold King mused, "I will stay on the sidelines and only activate my Sanctum when the Colorless King arrives, it would be for the best if he didn't know I was here until it was too late."

"Your excellency, with all due respect...do you realize we might destroy half of this Forrest?" Reisi proclaimed, "Suoh and I have a hard time holding back when we start fighting one another."

"That's fine, the bigger the destruction the easier it will be for him to see you." The other two Kings exchanged confused looks, "we can worry about repairing the forestry afterward. A few acres of trees is nothing in comparison to what is at stake, which is the entire country might I remind you."

"Sir."

"Ready, Munakata?" Mikoto chuckled, "I'll try to go easy on you but I can't make any promises, my Aura loathes you."

"As does mine, Suoh," Reisi mumbled as he drew his sword, pointing it at the man in front of him. The Red King's Aura glowed at his feet, setting his hands ablaze as their swords appeared in the sky.

"Catch me if you can," Mikoto called out as he quite literally blazed a trail past the temple, Munakata followed behind him, cutting down any trees or brush that stood in his path. Suoh was fast but Reisi remained close behind him at all times, the two of them rushed the forest with ease, sparks and flames flying high in the night sky as they worked tirelessly to create a distraction large enough to draw out the Colorless King.

"That's it," Mikoto suddenly exclaimed, halting in his tracks as he spun around, fist encased in flames as he threw a devastating blow, Munakata barely had time to register the change in the movements but he somehow managed to block the blow with the side of his sword.

"Suoh take it easy," Munakata seethed as he parried the blow, both of them getting blown back several yards in the process. "You're not really trying to kill me, are you?" His ears were met with a laugh.

"Not at all, but it's so fun to get you worked up," Mikoto countered as he rushed forward again, both his hands giving off an iridescent glow as he charged the Blue King, who blocked the array of punches that came next with precision that only came after being practiced for so long. It was a well rehearsed dance at this point, and neither King showed any sense of fear because of this. Munakata briefly wondered how many times they had crossed arms in the last few years, it was definitely more times than he could have ever kept count of. It was always something with Mikoto, whether it was a report of his clan taking down a gang in Shizume or just causing a scene like they usually did. He felt like they fought each other way too often, but a part of him said that they also never seemed to fight enough.

"Munakata, let me ask you something," Suoh exclaimed as he took on a defensive stance as Reisi stormed forward, sword in hand. The Red King blocked the swing of his sword with a single hand though it was apparent he was struggling to deal with the sheer force behind the blow. He then shifted into another stance, both of his arms crossed and blocking his body as Reisi's sword came to rest on top of his right arm, he managed to hold him off though he was losing his footing in the deep snow they were currently in. "Are you in love with me?

The surprise was large enough that Reisi momentarily forgot what he was doing, giving the Red King enough time to parry the blow and send the Blue King crashing backwards into a large elm tree. Munakata frowned, getting to his feet as quickly as possible as he dusted the frozen vapor from his coat. "Why would you ask such a thing?"

"Because I want to know, I thought that was why people asked other people questions," Mikoto said with a sigh as he clinched his fists, his Aura glowing behind him menacingly, though Reisi just thought of it as _too flashy._

"Suoh my feelings are really not your concern and have nothing to do with this mission," the Captain of Scepter4 answered as he assumed a defensive stance to mimic the Red King's. "This is hardly the time nor the place to ask such a thing."

"There's never a right time or place to ask if your enemy is in love you," Suoh huffed as he crossed his arms, dropping his guard for long enough that Reisi took advantage of it and moved forward, knocking the Red King back into the snow beneath them. But being the sly devil that the Third King was he swept his leg to the right, causing Munakata to lose his footing and come crashing down onto him.

"That was uncalled for," Reisi seethed as he leaned up, looking his companion in the eye whilst trying ignore the way the snow melted beneath them thanks to the overwhelming heat of the Red Aura.

"What's uncalled for is you ignoring my question," Mikoto commented as he smirked up at his former friend/maybe-still-kind-of-friend, "I need to know, Munakata."

"Why would knowing the answer to such a trivial question be a necessity?" Munakata sighed, though he made no move to get off the Red King. "I will never understand you, Suoh. Here we are fighting for our lives and you have the nerve to ask me such a thing."

"I'm selfish, I can't help it," Mikoto dared, "now tell me."

The Fourth King let out a guttural groan.

"At one time I was thoroughly convinced I was in love with you, yes."

"But not anymore?"

"Would it really matter if I was? Suoh you and I are not meant for one another, and I see that look in your eyes," Reisi paused, "you're asking me this because you think you're in love with someone, aren't you?"

"Ah," Mikoto answered numbly, though he wasn't sure why he suddenly felt a surge of embarrassment.

"So you wanted me to tell you this so you could see what love is like considering you've never loved anyone in your entire life, yes?" Munakata grumbled as he gripped onto the slightly older man's shirt, "you really are a selfish bastard."

"I warned you," Suoh said blandly, suddenly finding the situation uncomfortable.

"Fine, I will answer this only so we can move onward and find this bastard, which is why we are here in the first place, I'm sure I needn't remind you of that."

"Ah."

"Suoh, at one point yes, I loved you but I have accepted the fact you do not feel the same and I have turned those feelings into another form of love for you. I care about you dearly and I likely always will but I do not wish to be intimate with you ever again nor do I wish to be someone you shower with affection. I love you as a friend, but I am no longer in love with you." Mikoto stared up at him, a bit dumbfounded, Reisi, however, felt horrible for telling the man beneath him a lie of that caliber. _You'll never be over him. But just because you love someone doesn't mean you will spend your life with them._ He thought to himself.

"I'm glad. I'm an asshole and you're not like me at all. You're too goody good to fit into the stereotype of falling in love with the bad guy," Suoh laughed as Munakata released the hold on his shirt, offering him a hand up as he stood- which he took without hesitation.

"I suppose you're right," the Blue King looked up to the sky in search of other Swords of Damocles but found none in sight. "You will know if you're in love, Suoh. It is not the same feeling you likely have for Izumo whereas you see him as your brother in arms and...unless it's Izumo you're talking about."

"Don't make me puke," Mikoto groaned as he fished in his pockets for his cigarettes, frowning when they were crushed. Munakata took the initiative to give him one of his own.

"I see, and it's also not like the love you for Anna, who is much like a daughter to you. There are different types of love, but when you are in love with someone you will go above and beyond the normal ties of friendship for that person; you will want them with every fiber of your being and you will do absolutely anything for that person without a moment's hesitation, despite what anyone else might have to say about it." Reisi answered though he had to work hard to contain the sadness in his voice, it wasn't like him to cave into emotions but when it came to Suoh he found himself unable to do much else. Not in a moment like this.

Reisi pointed his sword at the Third King, ready to resume what they had been tasked with in the first place.

"So it makes you do stupid things," Mikoto hypothesized as a small ball of fire began to grow around him, "anything else you want to add?"

"Tell that person how you feel and for once in your life," Reisi charged forward as the glowing orb continue to grow in size, "stop being selfish and let someone help you and care about you without fear."

"Maybe you were right," Mikoto called as he arched his back, "this conversation is hardly appropriate while we're fighting," the ball of fire that he had so carefully kindled roared forward when he slammed down on the ground behind him, his heels roughly hitting the dirt beneath him. Not to his surprise, Reisi dodged it all together, choosing to jump over it however had not been what the Red King was expecting.

"Shit," he hissed as he barely had time to dodge a swing of the Blue King's saber, and without warning he took off again. Running through the trees as fast as he could to evade the oncoming waves of blue that ripped and shredded the forest around him. He worked his way back to the temple, rushing through the evergreens with ease as he burned whatever was in his way to the ground, he was almost back to the clearing when he heard Reisi scream his name, though it wasn't full of malicious intent like he expected it to be.

It was full of terror.

Mikoto whipped his head around, not knowing what to expect when he looked back at Reisi Munakata, but what he wasn't expecting was to be blown to the ground as soon as his focus slipped from what he was doing and shifted to the Blue King. He hid the ground hard, his Aura bursting into a thousand shiny pieces of light that cascaded down in time with the snowfall that had begun again at some point. Hissing in pain, he propped himself upward, only stopping when he felt something tug him back onto the tree he had so roughly landed against.

His gaze shifted downward, eyes searching for what caused him to be ensnared. He half expected to see his coat wrapped around a loose branch or the chain that hung from his pocket caught up on something but he never expected to see a small fractured part of a tree limb poking through his side. The limb entered mid-torso, coming out clean on the other side. Why his Aura had not sensed this was beyond him but he guessed it was the reason he felt no immediate agony from the injury.

"Suoh, are you all right?" Ah, there was Reisi, running to his aide as if they hadn't just been in the heat of battle. The irony of their _friendship_ was truly a modern marvel.

"Fine, what happened?" Mikoto grumbled as he poked at the branch that was protruding from his skin, blood soaked his hand when he tried to push himself off it.

"Stop, you're only going to make it worse," Munakata heaved a sigh as he knelt down next to the injured King.

"So do you suggest I stay here and become one with nature or are you going to help me get this out of me?" Suoh seethed as he lost his patience, "tell me what the hell just happened."

"To be honest, I'm not quite sure myself. I saw movement to your left and then that blast came and you were pushed over here, I looked but I couldn't find anyone. We need to get back to the Gold King as quickly as possible, I feel as if we are not the only ones in this forest anymore." Munakata slipped a hand on the Red King's shoulder, he eased the injured man forward until the branch slipped out of his skin, a wet dripping sound met their ears as the motion was completed. "It doesn't hurt?"

"If it does I no longer feel it," Mikoto commented as he stood, proud that he didn't even need to use anything around him for assistance. "Let's go."

"Suoh..."

"I'm fine, Munakata. Forget it, let's go, our work is obviously done here. We can't afford to concern ourselves with this right now, we need to be on high alert." The older man hissed as he turned and glanced back at his companion, who was still kneeling down in the snow, a puddle of blood rested under his knee.

"You're right, forgive me," Reisi commented as he collected himself, following the Red King and matching his brisk walking pace as they made their way back to the clearing. Daikuku stood by the temple, clearly confused but unharmed.

"Suoh, you're injured. Goodness Reisi, take it easy on the boy sometime," the Gold King stammered as he offered to access Mikoto's wound, the Red King denied at first but caved in after the older man gave him a menacing stare.

"Unfortunately I was not the one to do this, I would be grinning from ear to ear if I had done this handiwork."

The younger Kings shared a smirk which left the former Japanese solider raising an eyebrow out of confusion.

"So someone else interfered and did this to you?"

"Ah."

"Well actually a tree did that to him, but someone else caused him to crash into it, yes."

"Thanks for the clarification, Detective Reisi Munakata," Suoh teased as the Second King finished accessing his injury. The blue haired man's blush did not go unnoticed.

"It did not hit anything vital so you will be fine for now, your Aura has already cauterized it to stop the bleeding. Rub some dirt in it, you'll be fine."

At this the Red King laughed, "I didn't know old people made jokes."

"I was young once too, you know?"

"Your Excellency I wo-"

"Look over there," Daikuku cut the Blue King off, pointing back in the direction of Ashinaka High School. Over the campus smoke rose in the sky, curling as if an atomic bomb had been dropped on the land though the air remained silent. "Mikoto isn't that where your boys are? I wonder who they've encountered."

 _ **Ring...ring...**_

"Guess I'm about to find out," Suoh replied as he answered his phone, stepping away from the other two Kings.

"Izumo?"

"Mikoto? Shit, I'm glad you're all right. I saw your Sword of Damocles and got a bit concerned, but yeah...we've got a bit of trouble over here." There was a long string of curses that came from the other line before a loud sound, almost like a sonic boom, echoed throughout the island, even at the temple that had otherwise been quiet.

"What's going on?"

"The Black Dog and the strain you encountered the other day appeared a few minutes ago and since we couldn't talk them into giving us the location of the Colorless King we've engaged them in battle, it's nothing we can't handle but I wanted to let you know that these two are currently working with the man we're looking for, whether that truly be the Colorless King or the Silver King I'm not sure but the stupid cat's pissed and causing a pretty large amount of confusion."

"Are the students evacuated?"

"Yeah, everyone's safe and sound...Yata it's just an illusion, snap out of it! Yata!" Mikoto paled, "shit I've got to go, be careful Mikoto. I'm sure this bastard will show up soon."

"But what abo-"

 **CLICK.**

"Is everything okay, Suoh?" Munakata asked with a frown as he approached the Red King, who looked like he had seen a ghost.

"Ah, the Black Dog and that cat strain are causing some problems, that's all. Apparently they are working for the man we're after."

"I hate to break up this conversation, but we've got company." Daikuku mumbled as he pointed across the clearing, drawing both King's attention back to the task at hand. Though it was dark on this part of the island the man's figure was unmistakable and his pale hair stood out against the blackness of the forest and sky.

"Lieutenant?"

"You bastard..." Mikoto howled, feeling every ounce of self control he had slip as he dropped his phone in the snow, "I'm gonna kill you, you son of a bitch!"

"Suoh, stop." Munakata growled as he wrapped his arms around the Red King to prevent him from moving forward, their Auras ignited at the contact.

"Let me go," the red haired man hissed as he tried to break the grip the Blue King had on him, to no avail.

"Munakata, please take Suoh back on the steps until he calms down. I will go and speak with this man," both men stopped their struggle as they glanced at the Gold King who walked past them.

"But sir is-"

"This man is Adolf. K Weismann, even from such a distance and in this form I would know that tone of voice, no one else calls me Lieutenant either." Daikuku looked back at them with a smile, "please be wry of the forest around us, should another particular guest make his appearance."

"Sir." Munakata answered sharply, his arms still restraining a very irritated Mikoto who had resumed his violent thrashings. "Suoh this man isn't him, you have got to calm down."

But he couldn't, the urge to rip the man's heart from his chest was too great for him to simply ignore. His Aura was screaming at him to do it, urging him to destroy the man who had nearly cost him everything but his brain yelled back, telling him this was not the man he was seeking. But as always, his Aura got the final say in how he felt and what he did.

"I can't do that, Munakata I'm warning you."

"Suo-"

 _ **Ring...ring...**_

Munakata swore that if he got cut off one more time that night that he was going to scream.

"Do you want me to answer your phone?"

"No, give it to me," Mikoto grumbled, eyes still shining brightly in the darkness as his Aura melted the snow around them with ease, he was initially a bit surprised Reisi was unhurt but put two and two together when he saw the blue wafting off of the other man's skin.

"What?" The Red King practically exploded as he answered the phone, Munakata's grip on him was still unrelenting.

"Mikoto-san?"

"Yata?" Suoh mumbled into the receiver, the tenseness in his body lessened at the sound of the other man's voice.

"Yeah, it's me. Kusanagi-san and I managed to capture the cat, the Black Dog is headed in your direction though Chitose, Dewa, Kamamoto, and Bandō have begun a pursuit to try and locate him before he reaches you." There was a pause, "is everything all right, Mikoto-san? You're breathing really hard."

"I'm fine," he replied with a click of his tongue, eyes staring forward as he watched the Gold King confront the man they had been in search of. "Good work, things are getting interesting over here as well. The...Silver King has made a fashionably late appearance so I suspect the Colorless King will be around shortly. Make sure you stay safe and tell Izumo I said to keep up the good work."

"So it's begun, ne?"

"Ah."

"Well...be careful...Mikoto. I'll see you when you get back, right?" The Red King felt his body freeze up.

"Ah."

"Mikoto-san?"

"Hm?"

"Remember...you've got this...and...don't you dare die on me."

 **CLICK.**

"Suoh?"

"I've got this..." Mikoto repeated as he found the willpower to wave off his demanding and restless Red Aura, Munakata reluctantly parted from him, coming to stand in front of him. "I'm fine now."

"Shall we go see what's going on...I mean, do you think you can handle that?" Reisi sounded concerned, and for good reason, but Mikoto nodded his head slowly.

"I won't let that happen again," he commented as he turned and made his way back down the stairs, the Blue King joining up with him instantly. "Ready to settle this score, Munakata?"

"As if you even had to ask."

0o0o0o0o

"All right _Neko_ , it's time you started explaining some things." Izumo growled as he got on eye level with the young girl who had been causing HOMRA a hassle for the last fifteen minutes. To ensure she wouldn't use her powers a member of Scepeter4 had run over with a set of special restraints, ones specifically designed to prevent Strains from using their powers. The girl pouted and looked away into the distance, eyes fixated on the area of the island that housed the temple.

"Still not talking?" Yata asked as he yawned, walking back over to Kusanagi who was knelt down beside the pink haired Strain.

"Not a word. Is Mikoto all right?"

"Fine, said the Silver King had arrived so I let him go." Misaki explained as he stretched out his back, muscles sore from battle. "He sounded a bit angry, though. Can't say I blame him if that stupid white haired bo-"

"Shiro!" Neko exclaimed loudly, eyes widening in panic, "you can't let them hurt Shiro!"

"Shiro?" Both members of HOMRA asked in unison, their eyes flitted back and forth between one another and the cat-girl in front of them.

"Shiro is Neko's Shiro," she explained happily, though it did nothing but give Yata the creeps.

"That might mean something to you but who the hell is Shiro?" He asked with a frown, "please don't make me go against my code of never yelling at a woman, my patience is wearing thin."

"You yelled at Seri once," Izumo countered with a sigh, causing Misaki to blush in horror.

"She pissed me off, your girlfriend is a pain in the ass!"

"She's my pain in the ass, but I see your point...I will never agree with her career choice." Izumo shuttered, "working with them of all people, ugh."

"Seri?" Neko questioned, tilting her head to the side, "who is she?"

"I'll tell you if you tell me about this Shiro guy, what have you been up to lately? Are you and the Black Dog working for the Colorless King or the Silver King?" Yata demanded as he knelt down beside his fellow clansmen, "I don't have time for games, if you don't tell me I assure you I will personally deal with the Black Dog until I have some answers." A red glow burst from his skin which made Neko yelp in response, "do not make me repeat myself."

"Yata-chan...calm down..." Izumo laughed, "but Neko it would be a big help if you could tell us all about...your Shiro."

"Shiro is a good guy!" She quickly exclaimed, "he's not the Colorless King, he is the Silver King!"

"So you mean Adolf K. Weismann?"

"I think that's what he said, but I just call him Shiro," she replied wistfully, a quirky smile gracing her lips much to the other two's horror.

"You don't even know your King's name?"

"This is turning into a joke."

"Shiro wants to be called Shiro, that's all there is to it," Neko proclaimed, "he is usually a nice guy and we have a lot of fun together with Kurosuke."

"Usually nice? Has he ever made you do things that weren't very nice?" Izumo asked carefully, having no better way to word the situation though it sounded awkward to his ears and made Yata cough out of embarrassment.

"He...he once made me play a trick on the scary guy with red hair," she mumbled sadly, eyes downcast to the blanket that was wrapped around her.

"Was that unlike him?" Izumo asked.

"Yes, I've never seen that side of Shiro before. He said if I didn't do it that we would be in danger so I did what he said. But he didn't remember it the next day, he said he never told me to do that and he had no idea who that man was." Neko frowned, "it was confusing."

"Well I guess that answers our question, you're a clansmen of the Silver King then, yes?"

Neko nodded her head happily, "Kurosuke and I both are."

"Yata, join up with Dewa and the others and see if you can locate the Black Dog. It seems there's been a misunderstanding between us. Try to talk some sense into him but if he continues to attack do what you can to restrain him, if you need help try to lure him here. We aren't to bother Mikoto, he's got bigger fish to fry." Izumo stood in time with the leader of the Vanguard, "don't worry, we will handle things here."

"You got it, Kusanagi-san." Misaki said as he collected his baseball bat and headed towards the forest at a running pace, his skateboard proving useless in the snow and off the beaten path. He followed the hints of destruction for what felt like forever until he heard the sound of weapons clashing. On instinct he carefully approached the sound, weapon at the ready should someone charge at him, as he grew closer to the noises he could here his fellow clansmen yelling at one another, panic rising in their voices.

"Erik, what are you doing? Stop!"

"Shit, what the hell is wrong with him?"

"Black Dog are you just going to stand there? Help us out will you?"

"Shit," Yata cursed as he quickened his pace, coming to a screaming halt in a small clearing that seemed to have been cleared by none other than Mikoto, the forestry around them glowed with the hints of now dying flames. Chitose and Dewa circled Erik, while Kamamoto, Bandō and the Black Dog worked to push the blond man back into their circle. "Oi, what's going on here?"

"Erik came out of nowhere and tried to attack me," Dewa grumbled, even from a distance Yata could see him pale in realization.

"Shit, everyone get back!" Misaki yelled, feeling no relief when his fellow clansmen and the Black Dog did as they were instructed, it was then that _Erik's_ eyes locked on his, a menacing smile marring his lips. "Get back to Kusanagi-san at once, you too Black Dog. This has been a misunderstanding."

"But Yata-san we're not going to leave you here with that guy!" Kamamoto yelled in protest, not seeming to realize that the man with blond hair was no longer in control of his body, that this was the work of a King, a King that was out for their blood.

"Do as I say, go." Misaki bit his lip, "now."

 _Erik_ chuckled at him as he took another step forward, baseball bat drawn and poised at the ready as his fellow clansmen and the sword wielder retreated to the safety of HOMRA's defensive line. Yata gulped, he knew this was stupid, that he was no match for the man in front of him but there wasn't much else he could do in the situation. He just had to hope he would be fast enough to lure the guy to the clearing where the Kings were waiting for them. The only problem was Yata had no idea where the temple was now that he was on the same level as the trees, they successfully shielded everything from view.

 _Which means I'm running blind, hoping I don't wind up getting myself killed_ , he thought to himself as he pointed his bat at the man who stood before him.

"Oi, you in Erik's body, I've got a bone to pick with you," he boldly proclaimed, doing his best to mask his fears. "But I'm afraid I can't play with you here, you're going to have to catch me first. The reward is pretty high if you manage to get your hands on me, my King will surely want to have a word with you if you do. Which is what I presume you want anyway."

 _Erik_ smiled, a look so eery it sent chills down Misaki's spine.

Yata cursed his rotten luck before taking off, running to the right of the Colorless King down the path that Mikoto had obviously been down earlier in the night, if he could just keep this pace up he would surely reach the temple in time to keep his skin. He didn't need to look behind him to know he was being pursued, the sound of leaves and snow crunching was enough to paint the picture. "Think you can keep up?" He taunted, running a bit harder than he previously had as a surge of panic rose throughout him, the footsteps behind him thundered into his skull.

If he could just make it to the temple... **pain.** Why was his leg exploding in agony? He hadn't twisted his ankle or pulled anything, that would've been something he would have noticed immediately. His ears rang as the pain intensified as he continued to push forward, he vaguely felt his Aura ignite as if to shield and comfort him but it did little to quell the raw stinging he felt in his limb. He was losing his pace, he could hear the man behind him gain more and more ground as he stumbled, the roof of the temple had only just come into view.

 _Just a little bit further._

Adrenaline pumped throughout his body as he pressed onward, the stinging in his leg becoming a great nuisance as it tried to make him break his stride. He felt something else jab into his side but he choose to ignore it, though the searing agony begged for his attention he shook it off, legs working overtime as the building and clearing came into view, just when he had nearly broke through the tree line he felt his another searing pain before his legs finally gave out on him, leaving him vulnerable and lying face down in the snow, not even his Aura seemed to warm him.

He reached his hand up, vaguely recalling the way the man behind him stopped as he corned him, a predator finally having the chance to claim it's pray, Yata reached for the building as if the ground would give way and the Earth would move it towards him. A sigh of defeat escaped his lips, as his vision blurred, the world canceling out as blackness welcomed him with open arms.

 _Just a little bit further...and yet..._

0o0o0o

"So you're saying he attacked you in your airship and you somehow switched bodies and now he's free floating amongst the people at this school?" Mikoto asked as he took a puff off of his cigarette, the Silver King nodded his head.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. I know it's hard to believe and if you don't want to believe me I understand completely."

"So it appears my initial hypothesis was correct," Daikuku added with a sigh, "I am relieved to see you unharmed, Weismann."

"It's good to see you again, Lieutenant. We will have to catch up when this is settled." The First King paused, "which brings me to this, Red King two of my clansmen were attacked by your clan and I was wondering if you could tell me if they are all right."

"I suppose I can ask," Suoh mumbled as he plucked his phone from his pocket, calling Kusanagi as he politely excused himself and walked a few steps away from the other Kings.

"Izumo? Are the Black Dog and that cat okay?"

"Mikoto they're fine, but uh...we've got trouble, big trouble this time." Kusanagi's voice was panicked, his words almost all running together as he hastily got the sentence out.

"What's going on?"

"It's Yata, the group I sent after the Black Dog were attacked by Erik, who was being controlled by the Colorless King. Being the idiot he is he ordered them to return to our base and he's trying to lure the guy to you all," Mikoto's eyes widened in shock, his grip on his phone tightening in response. "I tried calling him but he's not picking up. Everyone's tattoos are glowing a weird shade of red, I thought it was your doing at first but this feels different. I think Yata might be in over his head, I'm sorry I don't have all the information bu-"

"You're rambling, where is he?" Suoh yelled into the receiver, his foot coming down to smother the cigarette he had dropped under his boot.

"He's somewhere by the temple you're currently at, I don't have anymore information to give you." Izumo paused, "just find him so you both can come back safe, okay?"

"Yeah," Mikoto answered with a frown, his desperation was beginning to show in his demeanor and voice.

"Go, Mikoto. He's in trouble, when you bring him back I'm going to kick his ass."

"You and I both." He spat into the phone before he hung up, he haphazardly tossed it into his coat pocket. "Your clansmen are fine but one of mine is in a bit of a predicament with the Colorless King, we need to go."

"Where are they?" Munakata asked, a small level of concern dripping into his usually passive tone of his voice.

"I don't know, I jus-"

 _ **Ring...ring...**_

"Shit," he grumbled as he fished his phone out, the display screen caught his attention more so than the ringing, he quickly slid his finger across the screen. "Yata?"

"Not quite," came the haunting voice from the other line, "Yata-chan said you would be easy to lure out if something happened to him, is that true?"

"What did you do to him?" Mikoto growled lowly, his fist clenching to his side as he scanned his surroundings, eyes trained in the darkness to look for any unfamiliar forms that were not part of the forest. The other Kings watched him helplessly, worried expressions offered up to him as if they were ready to give their condolences at any moment.

"Well if I tell you that isn't any fun, let's play a game Red King," the chilling voice wafted out of the speaker as a manifestation of a small white fox danced in front of Mikoto's amber colored eyes, the form multiplied, dividing into four. "How about I have my fun with Yata-chan then work my way back towards your clan, huh? What about your friend the bartender, would he be fun to play with? Or maybe I'll go for HOMRA's weakest, would Tatara be happy to see me? What about that little girl of yours, Anna was it? She'd be an absolute delight to destroy."

Mikoto's eyes glowed in the darkness, anger finally boiling inside of him as the willpower to suppress his aura left his body. He heard Munakata and Daikuku plead with him to ignore the taunting, but for once, Suoh's loss of control was planned, though it was last minute he had formed a gambit to use against the Colorless King, he just had to make him fall for his tricks first.

"Oh, there we go, that's the reaction I was looking for!" The Colorless King howled, "you're a feisty one, Red King. Let's play."

And the Colorless King fell for it, hook, line and sinker.

At the exact moment the entity entered his body his vision shifted to a field of fire, he watched the ghost dance amongst the flames, inhaling them as if to devour the very power that coursed throughout Mikoto's body. _Gotcha,_ he thought to himself as he pushed the fire forward, the flames taking the shape of a ravenous lion as they pounced on the prey in front of them, causing the Colorless King to withdraw from his mind, though that didn't prevent Mikoto from tracking him down. He watched the ghost float over the temple, going to a particular clearing he had blazed earlier, there he saw Yata laying on the ground, face down in the dirt, and Erik, though that was no longer than man in control of his own body.

Mikoto's aura burst around them, shielded Yata from further harm in a protective barrier while it pushed the Colorless King back, out in the open. Exposed, not only to Mikoto's third eye but to everyone else who now saw the man.

"You did it Suoh," Munakata exclaimed happily as he stood beside his _friend_ , his hand rested on his sword, fingers itching to draw the blade.

"Move in, surround him!" Daikuku commanded as he activated his Sanctum, sending the Kings into a pit of darkness that was no more than an illusion, but one not so easily broken. "Give it up Colorless King, there is no escape."

Munakata rushed to the right, Suoh taking up the left flank as they pushed the man backwards, the Silver King, who seemed to jump in on the action, pursued him through the middle, Daikuku sealed off their circle. Each King's Sword of Damocles pierced the faux night sky, creating a barricade around the man who stood in the center, his own Sword of Damocles shown defensively in response.

"Don't hurt my clansmen," Mikoto growled, "do whatever it takes to lure him out."

"Five Kings haven't come together in...well...never, this is a first," Weismann commented as he twirled his umbrella on the ground, "Colorless King, we'd like to have a word with you."

"You've caused us quite the hassle the past week and a half, you know?" Munakata asked as he pushed his glasses up before drawing his sword, "why couldn't you stay a recluse like your predecessor?"

The Colorless King cursed under his breath, finally coming to the realization that there was indeed no way for him to flee.

"Why couldn't you just play your damn parts?" The Seventh King shouted, "Suoh was supposed to die first, then Munakata, and with the power of two Kings I could take down the Gold King and then consume the other two until I got my hands on you, Weismann. Why couldn't you just play along?"

"I think you know the answer to that question," Daikuku boomed as he took a step forward. "We are prepared to stay here as long as we need too, you will not win against us. You can end this now but turning yourself in, I will have Weismann's original body brought here and we can end this peacefully."

"What if I want my original body?" The Colorless King shouted, "I can switch us back, Weismann! Please, don't kill me!"

"What's with this guy?" Mikoto mumbled with a tilt of his head, his Aura screamed at him, begging to be used but after seeing Yata lying in the dirt he knew he had to get back to him, he had to take him back to HOMRA...he couldn't afford to die carelessly just because he wanted petty revenge for a crime that had never been committed. It took every ounce of self control he had but he contained his anger, for the first time in a long time, on his own accord. "His personality is all over the place."

"You poor thing," Weismann said, a twinge of sadness in his voice, "you've consumed so many personalities you've lost your sense of self."

"You understand," the man in Erik's body choked out, " _I'm gonna kill you,_ ugh no! Please help me."

"It's okay, here," Weismann stood with his arms wide open, a knowing look was sent to in the Gold King's direction, "come on, I'll take you back to where my body is and we can get this sorted out, then we can go our separate ways."

"You mean that? No tricks?"

"I have no reason to lie to you," Weismann answered with a small smile, ask the other King's they'll agree with me. I'm sure."

The Colorless King glanced at the three others that surrounded him, "you won't kill me?"

"No."

"No, sir."

"Whatever Weismann wishes is fine with me, we have no reason to harm you should this end peacefully."

The man in Erik's body beamed, " _You're lying..._ no! I have to trust you, I have no other choice."

In a less than flashy display the Colorless King's disembodied fox figure appeared, Erik's body slumping to the ground in unconsciousness, no one moved towards him in case it was a trap. The apparition approached Weismann, almost curiously, "you swear?"

"I swear," the German said, "let's get you home, okay?"

Within a flash the ghost of the Seventh King was trapped by Weismann, who held a hand over his mouth and coughed, "now, Lieutenant. I won't be able to contain him for long."

"Suoh, Munakata, get back, leave the rest to us." Daikuku commanded as he briskly walked over to his lifelong friend, sad smiles were exchanged before the world around Mikoto and Munakata faded into black as they were expelled from the massive dome that surrounded the other Kings in the area. Erik's unconscious body was next to Mikoto's feet, after checking him over he picked him up with ease, slinging him over his shoulder.

"You need to get out of here, Suoh. Our work is done, I will stay back and make sure the Gold King pulls through this okay, I will also help take care of Weismann. Take Yata and Erik and put as much distance between this place and you as you can." Munakata flashed him a smile, "don't worry about us, just go. We don't have much time."

"Munakata..."

"Go, don't be an idiot." Reisi smiled, a genuine smile that Mikoto hadn't seen in some odd years, "you don't want to keep the one you love face down in the dirt for long, do you? Go to him and get out of here, we will catch up later."

Sighing Mikoto reluctantly rushed past the Blue King, quickly making his way over to Yata while sparks flew in the night sky, his Sword of Damocles vanished into thin air as he looked the boy over. There were several lacerations on his side, and a huge cut marred his back, but what caught his attention the most was the knife that was sticking out of the back of his thigh, though the blood was beginning to clot it still bled in certain places. "Shit, Yata."

Not having enough time to properly access the wounds he quickly slung the boy over his other shoulder, having to channel his Aura to hide the pain in his own torso that was reacting from his earlier encounter with a tree branch, and also so he could carry their extra weight and still move around with ease. As soon as he had a tight grip on his clansmen he turned back, looking back to the orb that looked ready to burst at any moment, the Colorless King's Sword of Damocles had already begun to dissolve. Reisi stood with his sword poised and ready, a blue barrier protecting him from the massive shock wave that was sure to be released as soon as the job was done.

Mikoto didn't waste any more time, he ran as fast as he could down the path he had already blazed, feet hitting the soggy ground with loud thuds as he rushed to put that place behind them. The ground shook before the sky did, the blow would've knocked him off his feet if it wasn't for his Aura shielding them. He was concerned for Munakata...and the others to some extent, but his number one priority was the people in his arms. His clan would always come first, even before the petty revenge he was unable to have.

Eventually the tree line opened up, the forest was far behind them when Mikoto finally looked back, it was then that the Colorless King's Sword of Damocles shattered, a pillar of white broke through the night sky and when it cleared, only Silver, Blue and Gold remained. None of the swords faltered, nor did they fall, and it was then that the Red King let out a sigh of relief before heading towards HOMRA's defensive line.

"Mikoto!" Izumo was the first person he saw, of course, running towards him with new found energy. "Are you okay? What about them?"

"I haven't exactly had time to check, take Erik, would you?"

"Sure sure," Kusanagi mumbled as he gathered the younger blond man in his arms, it was then that Mikoto moved Yata off of his shoulder, carrying him bridal style, but careful to avoid contact with the blade that was stuck in his skin. He looked pale besides a light twinge of pink that dusted over his cheeks, and for a moment Mikoto feared the worst but that soon faded away when he saw the younger man's chest rise and fall, a rugged motion but a reassuring one.

"He needs medical attention stat, Erik should be looked at too, I'll give Seri a call, let's just get them back to the rest of the guys first." Izumo stated flatly as the duo walked towards the rest of HOMRA, who were deadly silent, which was a bit unusual for them. When the Red King and his retainer finally caught up to the rest of their clan Mikoto gave them an honest smile, "it's over. The Colorless King is dead."

"Mikoto?"

"I'm fine, please call Seri." The Red King marched past his cheering clansmen with a grim look on his face despite their victory, he choose a spot on a fallen brick wall to sit on, bringing Yata's limp body closer to himself as he wiped sweat off the younger man's forehead, hating the way he didn't react.

 _Why does this hurt so much?_

0o0o0o

"Mikoto-san?"

The blinding light above Yata stung his eyes as he tried to sit up, a gentle pair of hands pushed him back downwards, preventing him from moving.

"Not quite."

"Saruhiko?" Misaki's eyes finally adjusted to the bright light, from the looks of it he was in a makeshift hospital room, though it looked more like a wedding tent than anything. Fushimi sat beside him with a clipboard in his lap, his hands pressed firmly on the Red Clansman's chest.

"We've set up a tent to treat those who were injured, if you haven't noticed that by now, Misaki." There was no teasing tone in his voice this time around when he said the name, instead he seemed...sad, something the leader of HOMRA's vanguard found puzzling.

"I can't feel my body," Yata groaned, "is everyone all right?"

"Wow you really like to change the subject, don't you?" Fushimi growled, "everyone else is fine, Erik is getting treated for some minor burns, the rest of your clan is getting patched up from the fight with the Black Dog, the Captain is getting checked out as well as the Gold King. The Silver King is being taken to the hospital the Gold King owns and your precious Red King is currently passed out in our clan's vehicle thanks to all the painkillers we gave him."

"Painkillers?"

"Yeah, he got stabbed by a tree, how funny is that?" Fushimi cackled, _ah, there it is, that smart ass._ "He was so distraught about you being so tore up that he dropped you off without a word, asked for pain pills and left in a daze, mumbling something about how this was his fault for putting you in that situation because he had been careless earlier in the night. What a martyr, I mean really."

"Take it back, Monkey."

"You're in no position to be telling me what to do," Saruhiko teased, "do you even know what happened? You're such an idiot, Misaki! Thinking you could take on a King all by yourself."

"I didn't try to take him on by myself, I wasn't thinking, that was the problem." Yata recalled vaguely as flashbacks of what happened ran through his head, "I just wanted everyone to be safe, I didn't care what happened to me."

"You didn't care what happened to you? Please, you're the most self centered person that has e-"

"I didn't care if a meteor hit the earth and wiped everything off the planet.*" At this Fushimi paled, "is that what you wanted me to say?"

"Misaki..."

"Get these cords off of me, I need to go find Mikoto-san." Yata moaned, hands shakily coming up to claw at the censors, but Fushimi easily swatted his hands away.

"Misaki, stop. You're not going anywhere."

"What does it matter to you, Saru?" He yelped, the painkillers he had been given triggering his emotions to go haywire, he felt like he had lost all sense of control. "You hate me anyway, and I need to go see Mikoto-san. I made him a promise, I can't break it."

"Misaki, stop, you're gonna open your wounds up and I'm not stitching them up again."

"You stitched my wounds?" He half yelled half cackled, "I'm surprised you didn't kill me while you had the chance, now let me go!"

"Now I'm beginning to regret my decision, if you don't stop thrashing I'm going to...oi, why are you crying?!" Fushimi looked at him as if he was absolutely horrified, though through the tears he looked more blurry than anything.

"I don't know," Misaki confessed, "I can't help it. Where's Tatara and Anna?"

Fushimi sighed out of frustration, cursing the way this boy's mind went a thousand miles a minute.

"They're with Kusanagi-san, the Colorless King is dead, Misaki. No one besides him died, you can breathe. Oi, stop sobbing like that you're gonna fall off the bed!"

"Saru, I can't help it!" Misaki whined in between cries, "what's wrong with me?"

"It's the medicine, you idiot!" Saruhiko restrained him again, eyes fixated on the other side of the tent instead of at the man who was thrashing around _like an idiot_. "God why did I ever love you. You're such a pain in the ass."

"Because I was all you had," Yata sniffled, knowing the words hit a chord when the other man didn't respond. "Why can't we be more like...our...Kings? They hate each other but they don't at the same time, why can't we be like that?" The tears were back and this time Fushimi settled to using the restraints that were on the bed to deal with the boisterous HOMRA clansmen.

"Because you hate me, you moron." Fushimi seethed, "and because you're so far up your King's ass that you couldn't find your way out if you tried. It's your fault we're this way."

"Shut up! Mikoto-san did everything for us, I was _thankful_ , you were the one who didn't want to change at all!" Misaki countered, "we couldn't live in our fantasy land forever."

"We could have if we wouldn't have met them," Saruhiko replied immediately, biting his lip out of annoyance when Yata laughed.

"Yeah right, meeting them was the best thing that ever happened to us!"

"Moving in with you was the best thing that had ever happened to _me,_ " Fushimi seethed as he stood up from his chair, the clipboard clattering to the ground as he did so. The Red Clansmen stared at him with wide eyes, "you always assumed that it was what I wanted but you never had the guts to ask me!"

"You said you wanted power, we got power. You said you wanted to get a new place, we got a new place, you said you wanted to leave and I let you! What the hell did you want from me?" Yata felt the tears in his eyes return, "god dammit, Monkey! I'm not having this conversation with you right now. I want to talk to M-"

" _Mikoto-san_?" Saruhiko groaned, "is that all you ever..." he paused when he caught Misaki's gaze, "don't tell me...you're in love with him! You're actually in love with him! This is low, Misaki, even for you."

"Low, for me? What the hell are you talking about, Monkey? Who I love is none of your business!" Yata groaned, "fuck, untie me from this bed, I'm going to find him. I can't deal with you right now."

"Can't deal with me?" Fushimi looked astonished, "welcome to my world, _our_ world, Misaki. I can't deal with you either." He stormed towards the exit of the tent, "I'll bring Mikoto to you if you just stop with that ugly crying, you never did look good like that. It's even worse when you're doped up."

Yata bit his lip, trying to ignore the dull sting the words caused to resonate in his heart. He laid back, blinking away tears until he heard a familiar set of footsteps and the sound of a chain rustling as the person walked toward him, he didn't even try to cover up the fact he had been crying. Mikoto looked down at him, a puzzled yet tired expression on his face as he sat down in the chair Fushimi had been using, he immediately unhooked the restraints, though he made no comment on them.

"Sorry I wasn't here when you woke up...I just thought you might want some space."

"Space?" Yata chuckled darkly, "the last thing I want is to be alone right now."

"Did you and Saruhiko get into it or something? He wouldn't even look me in the eye when he woke me up," Suoh explained as he made a grab for the younger man's hand, the latter squeezed back as hard as he could.

"Yeah."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Not really."

"Yata?"

"Mhm?"

"You remember how I said I'd ask you that other question later, back when we were lying in my bed talking?" Mikoto's free hand came up and wiped the tears off of Yata's cheeks, the younger man leaned into the touch.

"I do," he answered weakly.

"Can I use that now?"

"Of course," Misaki mumbled, eyes locking on those the color of amber.

"How do you know if you're in love with someone?"

Yata felt his pulse quicken. At first he thought this was just going to be another one Mikoto's _jokes_ but the look on the other man's face was completely serious...and... _holy shit is he blushing?!_

"Am I dead right now?" _Because this must be heaven._

"Nope, you're still stuck on Earth with the rest of us." Suoh answered with a laugh, his thumb rubbed the back of Misaki's hand reassuringly. "You don't have to answer that if you don't want too, it's a stupid question."

"It's not stupid," Yata corrected, his voice sounding more groggy than usual but then again, so did Mikoto's. They were both so high on painkillers that it was ridiculous, but neither of them seemed to care that much. "Love is kind of...strange, Mikoto-san. It makes you do stupid things and makes you feel weird, but in a rather good way. It's almost like you can't think straight when you're around that person, and you always want to be close to them and you want to spend all your time with them. I guess it..."

"You can stop there, I think I get it now." Mikoto said with a smile, the most honest and happy one Yata had ever seen on his King. Come to think of it, he had never seen Mikoto look that...joyful. Even when he was in a good mood a smirk was about all anyone ever got, a hug was rare but Yata seemed to get a few of those...and that kiss...his heart beat quickened at the thought. But even the beauty in those moments paled in comparison to the brilliant grin he was getting now, it warmed him to the core, made him feel complete even though this conversation could wind up going in a million different directions. The younger man had never felt so...complete.

"Mikoto-san?"

 _It's time to be brave,_ he reminded himself, trying to find the courage to say what he was unable to do back when they were on the bridge.

"I love you, Misaki."

Four simple words tore apart everything Yata had ever thought to say, four simple words made his heart ache and his blood flow straight to his face. They made his skin burn like they had been torched by Mikoto's fire, and they sent every ounce of delusion and pain that he felt since he had woken up straight back into oblivion. It didn't seem real to him at first, and for a second he swore he really had died and gone to heaven but the hand that held his made it all the more real. Mikoto's amber eyes looked kind as they stared back at him, it was an expression he had never seen before but vowed that he would see more of.

If Fushimi's so called affection had been a candlelight in the bleakness of winter than Mikoto's love was the inferno that melted the snow and brought warmth back to a place where it had been long since forgotten, Yata's heart felt like it was ready to give out.

 _He loves me._

He thought to himself as a smile grew on his lips. Everything else was forgotten, even the pain that coursed through his body as the high from the pills finally started to fade away, not even Fushimi's words that doubled as knives could pull him down from this. Without fear of ridicule or judgment, Yata tilted his head to the side, tears spilling past his eyelids as he gave his King the biggest smile he could muster.

"I love you too, Mikoto."


	7. Kindness

_**A/n: This chapter is really a feel good chapter with some "funny" moments thrown into it, but there is also a conversation in this that will tell you all about the second arc of this story, I won't ramble much, but I hope you enjoy it. 3**_

0o0o0o0

 **-The Next day-**

"Take good care of yourself, Suoh." Munakata said with a wave of his good arm, his other was wrapped in a sling due to a fracture he had received whilst blocking the explosion that erupted when the Colorless King had been slayed. The Red King stood in front of his clansmen, minus Yata who was already asleep in the back Izumo's Lexus, the members of HOMRA waved a goodbye to their now former allies before retreating to their respective vehicles, all heading back to the bar in Shizume.

Only Izumo, Tatara, Anna and Mikoto remained standing in front of the core members of Scepter4 who were yet to leave, the leader of the Red Clan took a few steps forward, which the Blue King mimicked.

"Thank you...for everything." Suoh exclaimed as he stuck his hand out, Reisi looked surprised at first but he shook the hand that was offered to him, nonetheless.

"It was my pleasure, I'm glad we've managed to avoid a complete and utter tragedy."

The handshake ended as abruptly as it had began.

"Look, I didn't want you thinking I owed you or anything..." Suoh began but stopped when Munakata laughed at the suggestion.

"Please Suoh, you do not owe me anything. I did this as your friend, and also as a fellow King, I couldn't allow these events to transpire one way or another."

"That might be true but still...I changed my mind. If you ever need help with anything this is your free pass, HOMRA will work with you on any one task should it not involve my clansmen or put them in a hopeless scenario." Mikoto tried to ignore the exclamations of surprise that came from his clansmen but they ended up being too funny to ignore, he found himself smirking at their shock.

"As the Captain of Scepter4 I will graciously accepted that," Reisi feigned a bow, "please tell me there is no expiration date on that offer."

"Nope, as long as you and I are alive and kicking my offer stands," Mikoto took one last look at the Blues before turning on his heel and returning to his clansmen, "bye Munakata."

The Blue King grinned.

"See you next time...Suoh."

0o0o0o0

"Mikoto do you want me to carry him?" Izumo asked as he got out of the driver's seat, Tatara jumped out of the passenger seat and Anna jumped out of the back seat, giving the Red King enough room to loop his arms around the sleeping man next to him and carefully pull him into his chest.

"No, I've got him."

"But your wound," Tatara exclaimed though it was to no avail, the Third King was already exiting the vehicle with Yata's sleeping form in his arms. He hissed slightly as his own wound threatened to start bleeding again but he choose to ignore the pain, _we're literally ten steps away from the bar, you can do this._

"Stubborn as always," Kusanagi replied as held the door open for Anna and Tatara who happily entered the bar to greet everyone else. The bartender smirked at his friend when he got to the steps.

"What's that creepy look for?" Suoh asked with a frown, shifting his weight so he could stay balanced with the extra weight in his arms.

"Nothing, it's just good to see you so happy," Kusanagi said through his grin, something the Red King shrugged off. He walked in past his clansmen, who all bowed in respect whilst he nodded his head at them, and took his usual seat at the couch, not trusting himself to walk up the stairs at the moment he settled for laying Yata on his side, his head resting in his King's lap.

Anna sat down on the armrest, having no other place to sit on her the couch she usually loitered on with the King, he shot her an apologetic glance.

"Sorry Anna."

"It's okay Mikoto, Misaki needs it more than I do." She said with a small smile before she averted her attention to her feet, something the Red King raised an eyebrow at.

"What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing," she assured though the way her body was shaking showed she was ready to laugh.

"Anna..."

"I'm glad you and Misaki finally told each other," she blurted out, "I've been waiting for you two to finally say something."

"Eh...what?" He deadpanned, shock registering in his face as all eyes in the room fell on them, the air was silent.

"I'm young but even I know love when I see it," she said as she returned her gaze to her guardian's, "I'm happy for you, you've never been this happy before."

Mikoto's lip twitched into a smirk but that quickly faltered when he felt Yata twist in his lap, his face hiding in his torso though not digging into his stab wound. "Yata?"

"Sh, I can't deal with them right now..." Misaki whined as he continued to hide his face, though it was apparent by his change of skin tone that he had woken up in time to hear Anna's realization.

"Do my ears deceive me or is King really in love?" Tatara's voice echoed throughout the bar, earning him a lot of unwanted stares from his fellow clansmen. "King I'm so happy for you, you deserve all the happiness in the world and I wish you a-"

"Enough already," Chitose yelped as he smacked the back of Tatara's head, earning himself a yelp of shock. "He does have a point though, Mikoto-san, you seem really happy today. Happier than you were before this whole charade started, even."

"Yeah," Dewa started up as he stretched, a yawn escaping his lips in the process. "Congrats."

"Congrats." Seemed to be the only thing his clansmen had to say to him after that, even Izumo, whom was behind the bar cleaning as if nothing had ever happened offered up his words of _approval._

"Maybe Yata-chan can finally get you to settle down," the bartender actually said with a laugh, "though he's just as bad as you, I don't see that happening."

"Watch it, Izumo." Mikoto warned with a glare though his lips twitched upwards into a smile, one his friend was eager to return.

"I'm glad you're happy, Mikoto."

The Red King chuckled under his breath, he had expected his clansmen to react in an indifferent manner but this was a bit much for him, an out pour of support had not been what he had in mind originally.

A groaning sound captured his attention as the younger man in his arms tossed and turned, clearly agitating his wounds that would surely take some time to heal. He felt his heart sink at the thought.

"If there's anything else we can do Mikoto-san, please let us know," Kamamoto spoke up, clearly picking up on his small levels of distress as he watched Yata's face morph into one of pain with a frown.

"Just..." Mikoto looked up at his clansmen who had seemingly gathered around them, "I know I've been asking this a lot, but let's just take it easy for awhile. I don't need any help personally, but I'd really like to start feeling a bit better."

"Are you still feeling ill, Mikoto-san?" Erik asked with a frown, though the Red King waved it off.

"No, I'm fine, but after that battle I need some time to recover...mentally. My Aura is very restless at the moment and it causes me a great deal of stress to constantly have to restrain it," Suoh admitted, though it pained him to do so.

"Sure thing, Mikoto-san. Everyone, let's give the King a break until the holidays are over." Chitose exclaimed, which Mikoto thought was extremely out of character for the young man. Everyone in the room came to unanimous agreement on the matter, all agreeing to lay low until the end of the year which had the Red King literally sighing in relief. He couldn't stop the smile that grew on his lips.

"Thank you guys, I'm really proud of all of you."

0o0o0o0

 **-One Week Later-**

"Ow! Tatara please be more careful!" Yata whined as he fidgeted in the bar stool, his discarded shirt was crumpled in his hands while the HOMRA cameraman changed his bandages, the worst of the injuries, the stab wound in his leg was healing nicely but the deep gash on his back constantly tore and reopened because...well...it was Misaki, he never sat still, despite being told he needed to be on bed rest. Mikoto sat on the couch with Anna, eyes fixated on the duo as he gazed at them through the smoke that radiated from the cigarette that was perched in between his lips.

"I tried to tell you that you needed to rest," he stated smugly as his _iboyfriend/i_ hissed while Totsuka wiped the wound with alcohol wipes.

"King if he won't listen to you then he won't listen to anybody, I suggest we give him to Scepter4 and he can stay in their infirmary until he's well. Fushimi-kun can take care of you!" Tatara teased as he continued his ministrations, much to Yata's dismay.

"Fushimi is going to kill me if he ever sees me again, I'm not trying to die before my time. Tell Tatara to stop being so mean to me, ow!"

"Totsuka."

"Sorry King, it's not my fault he won't sit still, this wound is going to get infected if you don't take better care of it. Now it's not my place to say anything but King I think you need to hire a real beast tamer, Yata-kun can not be reasoned with. Not by me, or Kusanagi-san and not even by you. He is the real monster of HOMRA."

"What did you just say about me!?"

"Enough you two, you're giving me a headache," Izumo seethed as he came out from the kitchen with a clipboard, "Mikoto can you help me do inventory? We're so far behind it's not even funny and I need these deliveries by next week."

"Ah," Suoh responded as he got off the couch, giving Anna an apologetic look as she frowned at him. "You want to come help us, birthday girl?"

The girl eagerly nodded her head, following after her guardian as if she was a lost dog.

Mikoto helped take stock of what the bar had and made notes of what they needed and in no time the two of them, plus Anna who helped as best as she could, got the task at hand done. A crate of alcohol that was stored under the bar caught his attention as they wrapping up.

"Oi, what are these for?"

"Oh those? Don't count them, I'm saving them for tonight."

"We're drinking for Anna's birthday?" Mikoto asked with a laugh, "she's twelve, should we really be doing that around her?" Behind him he heard a small giggle. "Did you just laugh?"

"My age has never stopped you all from drinking before," she said through a smile, one that earned her a loud round of laughter from the men in the bar. "Mikoto I want everyone to have a good time tonight, Tatara-san had a bad night and I want him to be able to celebrate, too."

"You had a bad night?" Mikoto asked as he turned his attention to the cameraman who was busy wrapped Yata's chest up to cover the gash, he merely shrugged.

"I just didn't sleep well, I know that you handled the situation with the...Colorless King but I just wanted to stay awake...just in case, I don't know. It's silly," he commented with a frown as he tapped Yata on the shoulder as if to tell him he was done.

"Why didn't you stay with us last night if that was the case?" Suoh asked as he approached his friend, "you know our doors are always open. I wouldn't have minded if you stayed here, we all just watched a movie in the rec room and stayed up a bit for her birthday then we went to bed. You could've come over." Totsuka frowned.

"It's okay, King. It's been nice being able to go home without fear, I spent last night visiting my parents anyway..." the sadness faded away from his expression, "I guess that whole ordeal has made me appreciate them a lot more. It had been some time since I had seen them. Of course I didn't tell them everything but my mother stayed awake with me most of the night and we talked, it wasn't that bad."

Izumo smiled, "well I'm glad it's made you reestablish your relationship with your parents, I know you hadn't seen them in awhile. You are planning on staying here tonight though, right?"

"I wouldn't miss our Princess' birthday for the world," Tatara beamed at Anna who returned it in earnest. "Now Yata, time to be serious, if I catch you riding your skateboard one more time I'm going to sick Mikoto on you."

"Me?" Suoh asked out of surprise, his boyfriend shot him a cheeky grin. "And what do you mean sick me on him? I'm not a dog."

"Okay, maybe I should have said Kusanagi-san."

"I'm not a dog either!" The bartender shot back as he grabbed another glass to clean, "Yata's he right though, no more of this, I mean it. I know you don't want me to yell at you again."

The leader of the Vanguard paled and shook his in unison, "I'd rather die, no thank you."

"That's what I thought," Izumo seethed, pointing a finger at him in warning, "you better listen to Tatara, he might have a few screws loose but he knows what's best for you."

"I'm gonna take that as a compliment," Totsuka muttered weakly though he looked a little disheartened. "Anna, do you want to go to the corner store with me? I need to buy some film for tonight."

"They sell film for that thing?" Mikoto asked as the young girl brushed past him in search of her coat, after she pulled it on her shoulders she ran over and grabbed Totsuka by the hand.

"Yeah, I requested it enough that they started carrying it. Said I alone was worth it, it's not exactly cheap."

"Expensive hobbies, I'm telling you," Kusanagi mumbled under his breath as he continued to work.

"We'll be back soon, I think Chitose and Dewa and the others are hanging at the restaurant next door so we will go have lunch with them if that's the case, how does that sound, Princess?" Anna's eyes gleamed at the suggestion, something Mikoto could only smile about.

"All right, we'll be back later." Totsuka said with a wave as he and Anna walked hand in hand out the front door, disappearing from their sight a few moments later.

"Relax Mikoto, they're gonna be fine," Izumo said as he put the glass he had in his hand down on the counter.

"I know they are, it's just gonna take time for me to accept that this is really over."

"I know, I can't believe it's been a week already, too. If you want, Mikoto-san, I can follow them and make sure they make it there all right." Yata offered as he struggled to pull his dark black v-neck over his head, he refused to wear his usual white sweatshirt until the threat of him bleeding through his bandages was gone.

"No, don't," Suoh replied with a click of his tongue, "they'll be fine. We need to stop being so paranoid."

"Easier said than done," Yata grumbled, as he continued to fuss with his t-shirt, Mikoto sighed before walking around the bar, offering to help him by snatching the fabric from his hands before sliding it over him with ease. Izumo chuckled at them which made the Red King shoot him a dirty glance.

"What? I just never expected you of all people to help dress someone, help undress them maybe, but never the other way around. You're turning into a mother hen, Mikoto." He teased, ignoring the fiery glow that was sent his way as he went back to working.

"Mikoto how's your wound healing?" Misaki asked as he lightly grazed his hand over the Red King's hip, the same area that had been impaled by a tree limb, Suoh didn't so much as finch at the contact.

"It's fine, my Aura has accelerated the healing so it's practically gone now."

"Lucky," the younger man said as he stuck out his tongue in a joking manner, "I wish that would work for me."

"Mikoto have you ever tried healing?" Izumo asked as he looked back over at the pair, "I mean, you seem pretty capable of destroying but maybe you could use your Aura to help heal something, too. I don't know if it's possible but it's worth a shot."

"He's right you know, your flames won't hurt me," Yata said with a smile, "next time I have to have this changed let's give it a shot? I don't want to unwrap it right now," a shudder ran through his spine.

"That bad?"

"Terrible, it's awful and believe it or not, Tatara is less than gentle with me."

"Probably because it was your idiotic actions that got you those wounds in the first place, he has no sympathy." Kusanagi shot back as he reached over his shoulder to answer the phone, ignoring the cries of protest that came from Misaki. "Uh huh, thanks. I'll send someone over to pick that up right away."

"What was that about?" Mikoto asked as he wrapped his arms around Yata, laying his head lazily on top of the younger man's, choosing to ignore the yelp of surprise that came from his boyfriend's throat. After a second he relaxed back into the touch, his own arms wrapping around the Red King's.

"Anna's birthday cake is ready to be picked up, would you mind going to get it, Mikoto?"

"Ah, where is it?"

"The bakery that's two blocks from here, you know the one we got the Halloween cake at, right?" Suoh nodded his head, "that's the one. It's already been paid for."

"I'll be back," Mikoto mumbled into Yata's ear when his friend turned his back to give them a moment of privacy.

"Can I not come with you?" Misaki asked with a pout, grip tightening on the other man's arms.

"No, stay here and rest, I'm tired of seeing you in pain and you're making it worse." Mikoto said in a no nonsense tone, leaving no room for an argument.

"But Mikotooooooo," the younger man whined as he gave the other man puppy dog eyes. Mikoto would admit that Yata was a fast learner, that look had become pretty hard to resist caving into over the last week but he was standing firm on this, knowing that it was for the best if he stuck to his guns.

"No, end of discussion. I'm your King first, I still expect you to respect what I say," Suoh asserted as he leaned down and placed a kiss on the younger man's forehead, causing him to turn bright red in response.

"Sorry, Mikoto-san," Misaki murmured, glaring daggers in Izumo's back as he obviously worked to contain his laughter.

"I'll be back," the Red King offered with a small wave of his hand as he grabbed his cigarettes and headed out the door, not around to see the teasing that ensued afterward.

" _Your boyfriend said he was your King first," Kusanagi cackled to a very flustered Yata who slammed his head down on the bar in embarrassment. "That's gotta be rough."_

" _Says the man who dates a Blue, give me a break! Seri so obviously wears the pants in your relationship!" Misaki called back mockingly as he rose his head, finding the banter more entertaining than offensive now that he thought about it._

" _But Mikoto..." Izumo laughed again, "oh god that was good. When I die, Yata-chan, I want that engraved on my epitaph."_

" _You suck," Yata whined though he couldn't fight the smile that came to his lips._

0o0o0o

"You didn't tell me this cake was seven tiers," Mikoto grumbled as he struggled to open the front door of the bar, from across the room he could hear the bartender and Yata laugh. _Thanks for the help._

"Mikoto I can't even see your face, how did you manage to carry that? I'm sorry, I honestly forgot, you could have taken the car." Kusanagi chuckled as he ushered his friend into the kitchen where they could hide the cake from Anna's prying eyes, in the back was a stack of presents a mile high, from everyone in HOMRA respectively, if it there was one thing they took seriously it was parties. Despite being a group of _delinquents_ , their Princess was treated as such and deeply loved by even the toughest ones in the bunch, not spoiling her on her special day just felt like a crime.

Izumo and him organized the pile of decorations they were going to put up later in the night while someone else distracted the birthday girl. It wasn't a surprise party, but it was a bit of a tradition at HOMRA to keep the guest of honor away from the bar until everything was ready for them, that way they knew to expect something but didn't know what exactly they were expecting. Seeing the decorations out made a memory cross Mikoto's mind, on his nineteenth birthday Izumo had ordered a _to go_ package from a strip joint.

Which really meant when Mikoto came into the bar on that night he was surrounded by half naked beautiful women and Kusanagi was in heaven, Tatara, being only seventeen at the time, was a flustered mess and ran out of the bar without another word, leaving Suoh to suffer in silence as his birthday _presents_ tried to keep his attention. It hadn't been a bad night per say, but it was definitely not his cup of tea either. He appreciated the beauty in people just like everyone else but he hated people pining over him, especially when those people had been paid to act like they actually wanted his attention.

He had wound up sitting on the sofa with a disinterested look on his face as a particularly pretty woman had seemed to noticed his disinterest after a failed attempt at trying to climb onto his lap, he might have pushed her off of him but that was another story entirely. She had thought it was funny and was actually genuinely interested in why _such a handsome man didn't like people fawning over him_. He spent the rest of the evening having his ear talked off by her as she averted his attention to her and her alone. Izumo gave him hell about it the day afterward, saying that he had another six women in the room and he only spent his time talking to the _gorgeous brunette._

Mikoto had found her interesting and the others not, that was the way he operated when it came to first impressions. Sure the woman had been half naked and was just earning the money Kusanagi had spent on her but she had at least put her heart into what she did, unlike the robotic other women Izumo seemed to chase. Despite having a strong preference to men, Mikoto couldn't say he didn't like women either because that would be a lie. But strippers...he hoped he'd never be in a situation like that again. He shuddered at the thought of that awkward birthday, _never again._

"You okay?" Izumo laughed as he laid several bright red streamers flat out on the table.

"Remember when you hired strippers for my birthday?" Mikoto deadpanned as he stacked some black paper plates next to a pile of red ones, despite being the only color Anna could see without the aid of her marbles, red was also her favorite color.

"Oh god, yes, that was a great night," Izumo laughed, "I promise I won't tell Yata."

"Like it matters, he'd probably think it was funny."

"That's true, for a man that slept his way around town in the early day I had expected you to drool over the ladies I selected for you but instead you withdrew yourself from the situation and had a fucking political conversation with that one chick," Kusanagi chuckled under his breath at the memory.

"Around town? Sheesh you really think I'm that much of a man whore?" Mikoto feigned offense, "How many times did I not come home on average a month?"

"Maybe once or twice for the last eight years," Izumo answered with a smirk.

"See, I'm not that bad."

"Mikoto, if we assume you slept with 1.5 people, I know that's not possible but that's our median number here, a month for the last eight years that's..." Kusanagi paused to do the mental math, "that's 144 people over the last eight years."

"That's not that bad," Mikoto mumbled, suddenly feeling a bit self conscious, "and besides, it's not like I didn't go back to certain people every now and again."

"So 100 would be a more reasonable number?" Izumo cackled much to his King's dismay.

"Shut up," Mikoto groaned, stacking the rest of the plastic cups up before they began to unwrap the cake, his best friend's smile didn't fade, _which means he's still gonna talk about it._

"Mikoto, you're such a closet playboy," Izumo continued to tease, "I need you to teach me your ways, is it because you're a King? Do people just fall head over heels for you because you've got power or is it because you've got a handsome face? Help me out here."

Mikoto grinned wickedly, seeing a perfect opportunity to return some of the heat that was being put on him. "Maybe I'm just good in bed and you're not," he offered with a shrug of his shoulders, "it's not my fault people flock to me, I don't exactly enjoy it all of the time but let's be honest here, your girlfriend would cut your d-"

"Okay okay that's enough!" Izumo cringed, "I was just joking, please don't take it that far."

"Besides, I'm not trying to be like that anymore," Mikoto mumbled as he leaned against the steel table in the bar's kitchen, "all it ever did was make me feel even worse and yet I couldn't stop myself from doing it."

"Because you've always sucked with self control, you've always relied on others to control your emotions for you but a romantic relationship was something no one else could help you with, right?" Kusanagi inquired as he leaned against the table opposite of the Red King.

"Ah."

"That's some pretty heavy stuff, Mikoto. Why didn't you talk to me about this?"

"And say what exactly, 'hey Izumo, I'm sleeping around because I'm lonely, what do I do'? See, it just sounds stupid," Suoh groaned, running his hand under his shirt to feel the wound that was healing on his hip.

"We're friends, aren't we?" Izumo inquired, taking a step forward in a show of support.

"Of course we're friends, you're my best friend, why do you feel the need to ask?" Mikoto raised an eyebrow, _god, when did we get this sentimental? We're getting old._

"Because friends talk to each other about these sort of things, no matter how _stupid_ they sound." Kusanagi smiled, "talk to me next time, I mean I don't think I would've been that much of a help but maybe talking it out would've done something. At least you have someone now, though I never expected you and Yata of all people to get together."

"Yeah, I can hardly believe it myself," Mikoto laughed, his hand still itching at the scab that was formed on his side.

"Did you always have a thing for him or what?"

"No, I used to look at him like he was just another Tom, Dick, and Harry, like the rest of the boys. It wasn't until Saruhiko left that I think something changed in him."

"Yeah he clung to you pretty badly after that, I swore he was going to attach himself to you and never let you go."

"Ah, but I honestly didn't even look at him any differently until three weeks ago and I was too ignorant to realize what was happening until I had a bit of a push in the right direction." Suoh paused as if he was remembering something, though Izumo didn't bring it up.

"You fell for him in three weeks?" Kusanagi's eyes momentarily widened, "here I was, thinking this went back months ago and nope, not even a single month ago. Damn Mikoto, you fell hard."

"Yep, and I don't regret it," the Red King smiled to himself, "my health has even improved since last week, I'm gonna be as good as new here soon and that means I'll be able to hold my title as a King for quite some time. Maybe I'll be the first Red King not to lose his shit."

"You've got a good support system and clansmen who are willing to shoulder the responsibility with you, not to mention you've got a cute kid who can see the future, your own paparazzi, someone to come home too every night and a devilishly good looking second in command."

Mikoto gave him a _are you fucking kidding me_ kind of look.

"Stop being so sentimental, it's weird."

"Ah I guess you're right, just then I imagined all of us as a group of beautiful people and I couldn't be any more wrong. We're a mess and so are you, but at least we're in this shit together." Izumo corrected as he took out a cigarette, giving one to the King on instinct.

"So," Mikoto grumbled as he lit the tobacco, "what's the plan for tonight? I know you're up to something, I can see it in your eyes."

"Before I delve into that, can I say one more weird sentimental thing?"

"Only if I can punch you," Mikoto deadpanned, completely serious. Kusanagi winced.

"Yes, if you want to punch me after that you can, just not in the face, we have a party to host after all." Izumo bit his lip before leaning against the table again, "so we have a deal?"

"Deal," Suoh answered with a sigh, finding the whole conversation a bit too emotional for his tastes.

"You might think that everyone has been acting kind of..."

"Clingy?" Mikoto offered, referring to the way literally every single one of his guys had been trying to spend as much time as possible together, namely, with the Red King. One day it was lunch with Chitose, then dinner with Bandō, and then the next day it was taking Dewa to see a film, then Kamamoto, Kōsuke and Erik had wanted to do something, and on it went. Whenever he wasn't out running around with his clansmen he was asleep on the couch, his head in Yata's lap, where he was the most content.

"Yeah, clingy, that works." Izumo continued with a wave of his hand, "but the point is, I know you've noticed how much time they want to spend with you lately and I want to make sure you don't see that as a bad thing."

"What do you mean? It's not bad, it's just a bit tedious."

"Tedious, really Mikoto? Your family wanting to spend time with you has your nerves frayed?" Kusanagi clicked his tongue out of annoyance.

"Ugh I didn't mean it like that, it's just...I'm tired, Izumo."

"You're always tired, that's hardly an excuse."

"I mean this has been so mentally exhausting that I feel like I'm going to have a heart attack, yes my Sword of Damocles is healing but my emotions are frayed. I don't mind spending time with everyone, I really don't, but Yata's been hurt and I hate leaving him, and I have to worry about Anna and Tatara, and everyone else under the sun and I just can't think right now. Everything is happening so quickly and I have no room to breathe." Mikoto's eyes were downcast, "I'm...happy that the boys want to spend time with me, I don't understand it but it makes me feel like a less _shitty_ King, maybe I should have been doing this all along."

"Can I finish what I was saying?"

Suoh seethed at him.

"The guys want to spend more time with you because now they realize that not even you can escape death in the end. They idolize you, I don't know if you see that or not but when they look at you they don't see just a man they consider a friend, they see their provider and protector, but most importantly, you're a hero to some of these kids. Take Erik for example, Yata, even Fushimi, you gave these kids a place to belong and people to belong amongst, after the fear of losing you and another one of their clansmen it's only natural that they want to surround themselves with the people they love." Izumo sighed.

"Mikoto, look at it this way, I'm glad you're finally starting to open up more, even though I've known you for so many years I feel like we're strangers at times, too. It's great to see you finally open up to us, now that everything is said and done, I hope that doesn't detour you from this line of thinking. Maybe Yata will be helpful to you as well, I'm just...I really like this new you. I hope you do, too."

"Izumo," Mikoto mumbled, at a complete and total loss for words, his second in command waved his hands in front of his face.

"You can punch me now," the blond laughed, bracing for impact when the Red King balled his hands into fists. He squeezed his eyes shut, expecting a powerful punch to be delivered somewhere on his body but to his surprise, he felt a gentle hand rest on his shoulder.

"Mikoto?"

The Third King smiled, "better go back."

"Yeah, Yata's probably bored himself to death by now."

Suoh smirked, "now that wouldn't surprise me."

Izumo followed after his friend, well and truly happy for the first time in a long time, he glanced back into the kitchen as he flicked the lights off, the darkness concealing the supplies they would be using for the _Princess'_ birthday.

"Wait, you never told me what you have planned," Suoh recalled as he walked around the counter and gathered up a sleeping Yata from the bar stool, the blond couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

"I'll tell you later, take him upstairs and the two of you take a nap, you look like you need one."

"You know me all to well," Mikoto mumbled as he headed towards the stairs, "wake me when you're ready to start to decorating."

"Will do, get some rest," the bartender called as he pulled out his phone and placed a phone call, smirking when the other person picked up on the third ring.

 _Tonight's going to be good one._

0o0o0o0o

"Chitose, help me move this table!"

"Rikio, will you stop fawning over the cake and help us!"

"When did Tatara say they would be back again?"

"Ugh."

Out of all the noises in the room the last one caught Mikoto's attention, sitting down the plate of food he had brought out of the kitchen he walked over to the staircase, standing before Yata who rubbed his eyes, leaning on the railing for extra support.

"When I woke up you were gone, why didn't you wake me before you all started decorating?" He yawned as he ran his fingers through his hair, which had gotten a lot longer in the last month, _he looks just like he did the day we met_ , Suoh mused as he shrugged his shoulders.

"You needed to rest and I didn't want to wake you when I got up, that was kind of the point."

"I need to go to my apartment," Yata mumbled under his breath, "my gift to Anna is there."

"When did you go back to your apartment?" Mikoto asked out of curiosity, not remembering that happening in the last week, though he had been out quite a few times since then.

"When you and Dewa went to the movies Tatara and I went out for a bit and I got some more clothes from my place," he grumbled, taking another step down though his footsteps seemed unsure, Mikoto offered him a hand which he gladly accepted.

"Anna and Tatara won't be back for another hour so I'll run you over there," he said with a sigh as he led his boyfriend over to the bar where he asked Izumo for his car keys after explaining himself. He turned back to Yata as he slid his coat over his shoulders, keys and cigarettes in his hand. "Where's your jacket?"

"At my apartment, I forgot it," Misaki blushed looking down at his feet in embarrassment, "it wasn't cold when Totsuka and I left so I just didn't remember to gr-"

"Here," Mikoto exclaimed as he slid the coat off his shoulders and held it out so he could help the younger man into it, Yata blinked at him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes?"

"Shit, sorry, you just never let anyone touch it...let alone wear it." He blabbed out as he carefully slid his arms into the sleeves, the coat was much too big on him but he wasn't about to complain, it was warm, and most of all it was a huge gesture of affection coming from the man who watched over the jacket like a hawk. What the obsession with it was Yata felt like he'd never know.

"You're not just anyone, idiot." Mikoto chuckled as he stuffed his cigarettes in his pocket and adjusted the ¾ sleeve shirt he was wearing. Yata's blush brought a smirk to his face, "ready?"

"Yeah, but can I take a pain killer first? My back...well let's just say it really hurts," the look on the young man's face made the Red King think that the word _hurt_ was a severe understatement.

"Of course," he agreed as he walked behind the bar and retrieved a glass of water and the horse pill that made Misaki come back to life, if only somewhat. He seriously couldn't wait for the man's injuries to heal, it pained him to see the usually boisterous man struggling this bad.

"Thank you," Yata said as he took the extended glass and the pill from Mikoto's hands, he downed it before the Red King could even blink. "Sorry, now we can go."

"No," Mikoto frowned as he took the glass and turned it upside down in the sink, "I'm sorry."

"Mikoto?"

"C'mon, let's go, we can talk in the car." The Red King said as he came out from behind the bar, his hand reaching for Misaki's almost on instinct, "we'll be back shortly, we just need to pick something up. Everyone keep up the good work." He turned to Izumo who was working on the main display table with the cake and presents, "and if the Blues show up before I do, you're to handle the situation and make sure everyone remains civil."

"Sure thing," Kusanagi offered though he didn't turn to face his best friend.

"The Blues are coming?" Yata questioned as they exited the bar and circled the building so they could get to Izumo's shiny silver Lexus, he hated the way he had to lean on Mikoto for support.

"Yeah, Izumo wanted invite them to properly thank them for all they did to help us out."

"So it's an excuse to get drunk with Seri," Yata concluded as he thanked the Red King for opening the passenger door for him, when they were both seated in the vehicle the older man laughed.

"Probably."

"How do you feel about that? I mean, I don't think they're actually together but it's pretty obvious they want to be," Misaki concluded as he looked over at his boyfriend, it dawned on him that he had never seen Mikoto drive before. He didn't even know he knew how to drive now that he thought about it, _please don't kill us_ , he thought to himself though he knew it was silly of him.

"I don't understand his taste in women, I mean yeah, she's beautiful but she ruins it with that personality of hers." Mikoto answered as he started the car, "maybe she's different around him or something, who knows. I wouldn't have a problem with it so long as she minds her own business and doesn't go snooping around in my clan's business."

"Like she'd do that, she'd be so nosy."

"My point exactly, I wouldn't have a problem with it if that wasn't the case. It's not like I don't want Izumo to be happy but sleeping with the enemy is never a good idea," Suoh bit his tongue, _trust me, I would know._

"Will you teach me how to drive?"

The question Misaki asked completely _out of the blue_ drew the Red King's mind away from his previous line of thought.

"Yeah, I can do that," he answered as he pulled out of the driveway, "where do you live?"

"At HOMRA," Yata answered with a laugh before giving the Red King actual instructions on how to get to his apartment, "it's a shit hole, I'm warning you."

"Can't be that bad," Mikoto replied with a small shrug as he turned down a side street in Shizume, "I haven't been to my apartment in over a month, I should probably go over there tomorrow and make sure someone hasn't broken in and made themselves comfortable."

"Can I go with you?"

"Yeah, you can come. I'll be taking Anna with me though, she needs to get a few things I'm sure. I honestly don't know if I should keep that place or sell it, we spend so much time at HOMRA we might as well move in."

"What do you think Anna wants to do?" Misaki asked out of curiosity as they approached his apartment building, if Mikoto thought poorly of it he didn't say anything.

"She said she's fine as long as she's with me, I'm gonna take her word for it." Mikoto answered wistfully, he fought off a smile as he thought about the question. _Nice to know I'm not the only one who worries about her._

"We're here," Misaki said as he pointed out a parking spot with the number 16 written in it, Mikoto pulled the Lexus into the spot and shut it off. Exiting the vehicle before he walked around to the other side and let Yata out, offering him a hand up as he did so.

"Do you have the key?"

"Yeah, I always keep it in my pocket, it's a force of habit." He answered as he instructed the red haired man on where they were going, mainly because the pain pills had him feeling rather drowsy and his leg throbbed even worse than his back did at the moment. After they arrived at apartment 16, on the second floor, Yata unlocked the door and strode inside, turning the lights on in the process as Mikoto followed in after him.

The room was incredibly bare, with only a mattress, television, computer, and a small coffee table in it. It lacked all other furniture, though the skateboarder did have a wide variety of video games and consoles scattered beside his television.

"Yeah, I know it's shitty," Misaki stated as he limped towards a small kitchenette on the opposite side of the room, coming back a moment later with a small wrapped box in his hands. "It's all I can afford."

"Is it at least quite over here?" Mikoto asked as he walked a bit further into the living room, taking note of a few posters that hung from the walls as well as a few photos. Some where of Yata and the guys in HOMRA but others were older, back from his childhood and some with Saruhiko, which surprised the Red King if only a little. There was one photo in particular that caught his attention, it depicted Yata and Fushimi in a rather...peculiar situation. Yata's hair was a lot longer than it usually was, _much like it is now_ , and both of them looked a lot younger in the photo, but what caught his eyes was the fact Saruhiko was kissing Misaki's cheek.

"I'll explain that at a time when it's not Anna's birthday," Yata answered, as if the Red King had been transparent and he had seen exactly what the older man was looking at.

"We don't have to talk about," Mikoto replied though a part of him was dying of curiosity.

"No, I've been putting it off for awhile anyway, it's not a big deal anymore." Misaki stated as he leaned against the taller man's back, his arms wrapping around his waist as he rested his head in the small of his back. "Thanks for bringing me over here."

"Ah," Suoh said as he wrapped his arms around the smaller man's, "what did you get for Anna?"

"A really pretty ruby necklace, it cost an arm and a leg but since I didn't have to buy groceries for the last month I had enough to swing it." There was a hint of pride in the skateboarder's voice.

"That's very sweet of you, I'm sure she will love it." Mikoto answered as he dropped his hands and turned around in the hold he was in, he wrapped his arms around the smaller man's waist, careful to avoid the majority of the gash that was on his back.

"What did you get for her?"

"A new coat, she's been asking for one for awhile now so I had it custom made for her earlier in the week, it's already at the bar."

"Is it red?" Yata asked with a light laugh as he reached up to brush a stray hair out of the Red King's eyes, the older man's jackets slid down his arms a bit in the process.

"Of course it's red," Mikoto confirmed as he leaned against the wall, one of his hands pushed his jacket back up on Yata's shoulders. "Don't forget your coat, I don't care if you wear mine but it's way to big on you."

"Can I at least wear it home?" Misaki blushed at his own blunder, "I mean, HOMRA."

"You don't even have to ask," Suoh insisted as he leaned down, closing the distance between the two of them. Their lips met, gently, Mikoto never allowed his urges to get the better of him as their lips moved together. _He's still hurt, you have to take it easy,_ he repeated to himself as he pried the smaller man's lips apart with the the tip of his tongue, the slight moan that met his ears made the sutra he was saying over and over again in his head become an after thought but he quickly regained his composure.

Mikoto lightly pressed a hand to the smaller man's chest as he reluctantly broke the kiss off, a pout of disappointment marked up Misaki's features.

"You're hurt," he frowned as the other man's face fell, "I'm not going to risk hurting you further."

"Kissing me makes me heal faster, or I bet it would anyway," Yata teased as he moved in closer to his King, his head resting on his chest.

"I don't want to risk it," Suoh whispered as he ran a hand through his third in command's hair, "so get better soon."

"You gonna try to accelerate this for me when Tatara changes my bandages later?"

"I'm gonna try," Mikoto promised as he rested his head atop of the younger man's.

"Good, because I don't want you have to any excuses not to kiss me."

"It's not an excuse, it's just a fact," the Third King replied with a chuckle, "do you know how hard it is to stop myself?"

"That irresistible, huh?" Misaki teased as he leaned into the touch further, taking some of the weight off of his leg.

"You're something all right," the red head laughed as he kissed his boyfriend's forehead, "Yata?"

"Mhm?"

"Whenever you get to feeling better I want you to move out of here."

"And where exactly am I going to go? I told you I can-"

"I meant you should move to the bar, idiot," Mikoto cut him off, ignoring the way his heart pounded in his chest though he knew Yata could feel it. "You already kind of live at HOMRA like you said, so why not actually move in there?"

"Because Kusanagi-san would get tired of me," Yata explained with a sigh, "I'm a _handful_ according to him."

"You are a handful but if he doesn't want you to move in there then you can move into my old place."

"And what if I want to stay with you?"

"Then I can start staying there again too or you can stay with me at HOMRA and Izumo will get over it." Mikoto answered with a smirk, "do you want to move in with me? Is that what you're trying to say?"

Yata's blush was an answer in itself.

"That's fine with me, you already technically live with me anyway and I certainly don't want you staying here any longer than you have too."

"It's really not that bad," Misaki tried to explain though he stopped himself, "actually it sucks but you get over it."

The Red King couldn't help but chuckle.

"We're going to be late, grab your jacket and the gift and let's get out of here."

"You're right, we can't keep Anna waiting for too long or she'll be really pissed." Yata replied as he stumbled out of the King's hold and retrieved a gray coat and the small box the gift was in, "ready?"

 _Like I'm the one who needed to leave in the first place,_ Mikoto thought to himself as he brandished the key that had been in his pocket, giving Misaki all he needed to know in regard to his question.

Yata's smile didn't falter, "hey, Mikoto?"

"Ah."

"I...I love you."

The Red King wrapped an arm around the younger man, bringing him close enough so he could kiss the top of his head.

"I love you too."

0o0o0o0o

"Happy Birthday Anna!"

The young girl beamed as she and Tatara walked into the bar, HOMRA had been transformed over the span of time she had been gone, even the Christmas tree had been revamped in honor of her special day. Everyone watched her reaction nervously, but of course the first thing she did was run over to Mikoto, who was standing by the bar, and grabbed his hand, leading him around the room as she gawked at everything around them.

"Do you like it?" He asked as he leaned down to get on eye level with her, she vigorously nodded her head _yes_ , "good, we're waiting on a few other people to get here but after they show up we can eat then you can open your presents."

"You mean Scepeter4 is coming?" She asked with a tilt of her head.

"Ah, is that okay with you?"

"Of course," she mumbled as she turned to face the rest of her fellow clansmen, "thank you everyone."

"Ah you guys did so great!" Tatara exclaimed as he put a hand over his chest, "it warms my heart to see our Princess so happy on her special day."

"Sheesh Tatara cool it, will ya'?" Misaki grumbled from his spot on the couch, a very displeased look crossed his features when he noticed a shiny silver and blue van park in front of the building. "The Blues are here."

"Ah, so they are." Mikoto answered, sticking his free hand in his pocket as the room went silent, Scepter4 entered the building in an orderly fashion, as per usual, but to Mikoto's surprise, most of them we're carrying beautifully wrapped presents, and their usual blue uniforms were nowhere to be seen. "I didn't even know they owned causal clothing." He mumbled, meaning to do it to himself but that didn't stop everyone in the bar from laughing.

"Hello Suoh," Reisi stated as he approached the duo, a medium size blue and gold wrapped box was in his hands, the Blue King knelt down next to Anna. "Happy Birthday, Ms. Kushina."

The young girl smiled and took the present from his hands, with a bow of her head, "thank you."

"You want to save that for later or open it now?" Mikoto asked as he glanced down at her, she shook her head and placed the present on the table with the others, the Blues followed her lead, all sitting down their respective presents after she was finished.

"Well everyone, please eat and enjoy yourself, I will be serving drinks behind the bar," Izumo announced with a clap of his hands, Seri was already seated at the bar in front of him, "but I'm not trying to lose my liquor license so if I don't know your age please have your ID ready unless you want water." Though there were a few groans of protest no one pushed the subject any further.

"Suoh I know that tonight is meant to be a night of a celebration, and I do thank you for allowing us to be here, but I was wondering if you could lend me your ear whenever we have a moment." Munakata was following the Red King as he approached the couch he usually laid about on, now not being any different in his opinion he took a seat next to a half asleep Yata, who was glaring daggers into Saruhiko's back.

"I suppose that's fine, go eat something and at least let her open her gifts then we can chat on the roof," Mikoto answered with a sigh as he waved a hand at Izumo, signaling he wanted his usual drink order.

"Of course," Reisi said through a smile as he disappeared into the small crowd of people, following the Third King's request. _Wonder what all of that's about._

"You hungry?" Suoh questioned as he turned to look at the younger man next to him, Yata had barely been eating and he was a bit concerned about that but the smaller man almost always insisted that he had no appetite due to the medicine he was on. This time was no different.

"I'm not hungry," Misaki mumbled, eyes seemingly focused on the back of his ex-best friend.

"You haven't eaten all day," the Red King frowned, "you didn't want to eat yesterday either."

"I'm telling you, those pills kill a lot more than my pain, they murder my appetite." Yata leaned backwards on the couch, hissing slightly as his back met the leather. "I'm fine, Mikoto-san. Don't worry about me, just have a good time."

"Like that's possible, I'm always going to worry about you," Mikoto shot back as he clasped a hand on the younger man's knee, "I'm gonna get you something, will you at least try to eat it?"

His third in command shrugged, "I guess."

"What's gotten into you?" Suoh inquired with a look of disdain, "you're acting weird."

"Sorry, I'm just...tired."

The Red King followed his gaze.

"Ah."

He left him on the couch without another word, fixing him a plate of some of the more healthy options compared to the cakes and sweets, knowing they would do nothing but upset the other man's stomach with the state he was in. After he was finished he sat the food in Misaki's lap, ordering him to at least attempt to finish the small portions he had put out while he worked his way across the bar with one particular person in his sights.

"Mikoto-san, may I help you?"

"Saruhiko, I need to have a word with you."

His former clansmen paled.

"If Misaki told you something I didn-"

"He didn't tell me anything, which is why I need to talk to you," the Third King explained as he pointed out of the front door, "mind if we walk outside?" Though the younger man looked concerned he nodded his head, warily following the King outside of bar HOMRA. Mikoto lit a cigarette as soon as they were out of the crowded room, Fushimi laid against the glass a few feet away from him, occasionally glancing at him nervously.

"I don't pretend to know what occurred between you and Yata and I will never ask, if one of you wants to talk about it then you will, as far as I'm concerned it isn't my business," Mikoto began after a moment of silence, he took a long draw off of his cigarette. "But I am going to offer a few words of advice."

"Advice? I didn't say I needed help with anything," Saruhiko huffed as he crossed his arms.

"No but it's pretty obvious even you aren't happy with the way things are," Suoh dared as he pointed his cigarette in his direction. "Munakata might be able to realize what you're thinking with his Aura, but I can feel it through mine, you forget that."

Saruhiko cursed and glanced down at his feet, desperate to leave the vicinity despite being ordered to stay until the party was over. "I'm not happy, but I am happier, surely even you could realize that."

"I know, you've been a lot better since you left but as for what I wanted to give you advice on..." Suoh paused and took a deep breath, "I...I don't want you and Yata to become like Munakata and I."

"Mikoto-san?"

"Seriously, our relationship is ridiculous and at this point it would be much easier if we just went back to hating each other outwardly but it's also impossible, sometimes it's hard to hate someone you were once close to," Saruhiko's eyes met his. "What I'm saying is, why don't you talk to him? I mean actually talk, have a conversation instead of screaming at each other and maybe you all could at least come to a mutual understanding. Just don't wait another five years until you both become bitter and spiteful like your King and I."

"So that's what you wanted to tell me? To warn me that Misaki and I are becoming too much like you and the Captain?" Fushimi laughed, "how's that a bad thing? You and the Captain are strong, are you not? That's all I care about, I don't care about dead and gone relationships."

"You might not but Yata does," Mikoto hinted with a sigh, "believe me when I say this, I don't like how much you get under his skin either, but whatever you said to him last week really messed him up."

"So you want me to apologize?"

"Are you sorry?"

"Not really, he deserved to hear it."

Mikoto sighed out of annoyance, "fine, get out my face."

"With pleasure," Saruhiko bit back as he stormed back inside the bar, ignoring the way the Red King looked ready to ring his neck though it did send a chill down his spine.

0o0o0o

"It's so pretty," Anna exclaimed as she held out the ruby necklace Yata had given her, the leader of HOMRA's vanguard smiled.

"I'm glad you like it," he answered as the young girl hopped off of Mikoto's lap and walked over to him, holding it in her hands as she extended it out to him, turning around in the process. "You want me to put it on you?" She nodded her head vigorously.

"I'll try," he laughed as he squinted to try and locate the latch on the necklace, after a brief struggle he finally managed to get it clipped. "There you go, happy birthday Anna."

"Thank you Misaki," she replied with a blush as she retook her spot on Mikoto's lap, taking the present he offered to her after she was settled in. "From you?" She inquired as she ran her hands along the dark red paper, the Red King nodded his head. She made quick work of opening the box, shredding the paper with ease while Kamamoto gathered it up and threw it in a trash bag, when she got the box open a smile grew on her face.

"You like it?" Mikoto asked as she plucked the red coat from the black box it came in, she held it up into the light as if she was trying to identify what shade of red it really was.

"I love it, it's exactly what I've been asking for, thank you."

"I'm glad you like it," Suoh replied with a small smile as Reisi handed her the last gift in the room, the one he had gotten her. She took with it a polite "thank you."

"It will actually match what Suoh got you, though I didn't intend for that to be the purpose," the Blue King announced as she opened the box up, eyes lighting up as she looked over the brand new pair of shiny red shoes. "Totsuka-san was kind enough to tell me your shoe size so they should fit."

Mikoto smiled at the other King in the room at the gesture, whilst Anna thanked him repeatedly for the gift that she so obviously loved.

All in all, she had had a pretty _damn good_ birthday, she received a lot of new clothes, as well as a pair of lavish diamond earrings from Seri _and Izumo_. Though many of the older guests were still energized it was apparent that she was becoming quite exhausted, as she leaned further back into her guardian for the added support.

"You want to go to sleep?" Mikoto asked her after a few moments of people watching, she initially shook her head no but wound up caving in as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

"Want me to take her upstairs, King?" Tatara asked with a smile as he sat down his video camera for the first time that night, the now sleeping girl made no indication that she was going to wake up so the Red King nodded his head in agreement. "Come on Princess," Totsuka laughed as he gathered the young girl in his arms and carried her to her bedroom on the upper level of the bar.

"I've got something to discuss with Munakata," Suoh explained as he turned to face Yata who was half laying on the couch, a tired smile on his lips. "I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Mkay..." Misaki whispered, obviously having a hard time keeping his eyes open himself. With a sigh and a nod of his head in Munakata's direction he exited the loud room where the alcohol was being consumed like water and took the staircase up to the roof, the Blue King on his tail the entire time.

"So what did you need to talk to me about?" The Third King asked as he approached the railing, lighting a cigarette as he turned to make eye contact with the slightly younger King. Munakata's face looked serious, though there was a small hint of distress on his features.

"I hate to do this so soon, but I want to call in that favor you said I could have."

"Oh? What can HOMRA do for you, Blue King?"

"It's...there's been a threat made against my clan by a rather shady organization, I would normally overlook such a farce but I'm afraid even you know these people and what they are capable of if left unchecked. That and I think you'd like to know what they said about you and your clan as well." Munakata took a step forward, hands clasped in front of his black pea coat.

"And who might these people be?" Suoh asked, eyes locked with the Blue King's. Reisi's facial features fell, though the movement was small it was easy to detect.

"Apparently they want to attack my clan then attack the other clans in this city, they seemed rather fearful of your bunch but said some rather awful things ab-"

"Munakata."

The Blue King smiled nervously.

"It's Jungle," Mikoto's eyes widened as he remembered the trouble the Green Clan had caused his in the past, "apparently they are tired of operating in the shadows."

"So you mean..."

"Yeah, this is the Green King's way of declaring war."

Their eyes met in silent understanding, and for the first time in quite a long time Reisi Munakata looked the slightest bit afraid.

"Will you help us? I do not fear for my own life but for the lives of my clansmen, Jungle has strength in numbers so there is no way to tell how big this threat really is. It is early to ask but I would like to get a head start, good things never come to those who wait."

"They come to those who go out there and take it," Mikoto replied as he let out a sigh.

"So...Suoh..."

"Yeah," the Red King gave him a look of understanding, "don't worry, if this mess is yours then this mess is mine, too. It's the least I can do."

"Thank you...Suoh," Reisi smiled though the look was severely out of place, the Third King warily returned it.

 _It's always something, isn't it, Munakata?_


	8. Knowledge

**A/n: Warnings for this chapter: Depictions of violence, and very vague mentions of sexual situations.**

 **The * in this story marks a part of the story I will be coming back too, I know a lot of people include it as just a part of the story but I find those scenes very difficult for me to write so I'm going to take my time then post it afterward, whether that be in a flashback or a separate bonus chapter I'm not sure yet. I just don't want to rush through it and make it terrible, especially since I'm really not used to writing those types of scenes. I hope you can understand!**

 **I re-wrote this chapter twice before I was remotely satisfied with it, I hope it turned out okay. *-***

 **Cue the first part of arc 2.**

 **Please enjoy!**

0o0o0o0o

"So, are you gonna tell me what's going on?" Yata asked as he flipped over in the bed, head laying on the Red King's chest as he locked eyes with the older man. Mikoto looked down at him lazily, eyes still half lidded as he woke up from his afternoon nap.

"About what?" The redhead mumbled, a hand coming up to wipe the hair out of his eyes, the skateboarder frowned.

"What you and the Blue King talked about the other night," Misaki paused, "I know it's got to be bad news, you haven't mentioned it to Izumo and you've been acting a bit stressed for the last few days."

"Don't worry about it," Suoh replied with his usually set scowl, "it doesn't concern you."

"If it involves you then it does," the younger man insisted as he shifted his weight to alleviate the pain he felt radiate from the lesions on his back and side, his leg weakly twisted out from under his body.

"Everyone will be over tonight for dinner, Tatara is cooking." Mikoto stated in a matter of fact tone, eyes hardening a bit as if he didn't want to be pestered any longer by the subject.

"Don't change the topic," Yata whined, eyes rolling out of frustration but that did nothing but make the Red King's scowl grow harsher.

"Yata it doesn't involve you, you're on bed rest, period. You are not getting involved with this, nor do I plan to involve HOMRA." Misaki's eyes widened a bit at the new found information though he made no indication of pushing his buttons in regards to what the initial topic was.

"So you're going alone, aren't you?"

"Not alone, just not with you or anyone else here for that matter." Suoh practically spat the words out, not understanding why it was so hard to understand that he didn't want to risk losing anyone over something so ignorant as Jungle and their wannabe clansmen. Not that Yata or any of his clansmen knew what was going on yet. What he didn't understand was why there was this sense of distress coming from Yata, he had hoped he would have let it go. Trusting him enough to let him handle it on his own and ask for help should he need it. Which he didn't.

He'd need his own clansmen when the time came for an all out war with whomever dared defy him, whether that be the Green Clan or the Blues wasn't something he wasn't prepared to answer. He was more focused on the bigger picture.

"Mikoto-san...are you always going to be this stubborn?" Yata knew the answer to that question before it even crossed his mind, let alone his lips.

"Ah," the older man answered with a drawled out breath, not wanting to discuss the subject any further. "You worry about your health and let me deal with everything else."

"Why should I have to do that, though? You said you were going to start being more open about these things, why go back on that now?"

Mikoto felt his temper begin to slip, "because it's my job to keep you and everyone else safe, I can barely do that as things are, and involving you all where you are unneeded would only make that tougher. I need you and everyone else to lay low, I don't need you to help me. I'm a goddamn King, I know how to handle my own, don't suggest otherwise."

Yata looked hurt at this and it was then that a pool of regret spilled in Mikoto's stomach, making him feel sick because of what he had just said, but what scared him the most was how natural it felt to let his temper go like that. His Aura felt restless again.

"I'm going out," he grumbled, kicking his legs off the side of the bed as he ran his hands through his previously styled hair, it fell back into place with ease. Yata made no move towards him nor did he say anything as he hastily pulled his jacket over his shoulders and stormed out, the guilt he had started to feel threatened to spill out as he stalked to the staircase that led to the roof.

He took the stairs two at a time, like he usually did, until he was in the attic. From there he pushed open the heavy metal door that led to the rooftop he so often found himself on when he couldn't think straight. HOMRA was only four stories tall, but the levels seemed much higher than they were. Izumo had bought the rest of the building, turning the other floors into an apartment complex for himself and the Red King, both of which had their own floors, Mikoto's was shared with Anna.

The first floor was the main bar, the second was the rec room, Mikoto's room and Anna's, the third was Izumo's, the fourth was the attic and the roof, and even though it didn't seem like much, the high ceilings on every floor added a boost of height to the building. The view from the roof was actually not bad at all, it was closer to being an eight story building, or so Mikoto thought anyway. It was easy to see the city but it also provided a decent amount of privacy, something the Red King never took for granted.

It was cold out, not like it bothered him any, but the city was a lot more quiet than it was in the spring. The skies had begun to grow dark already, purple and blue hues crept their way over the horizon and the sun was nowhere to be seen, night time was the only time he really felt alive, able to think freely and be himself though he wasn't sure if he even knew who that was anymore. During the day he remained a quiet, lazy and intimidating King.

His Aura was screaming at him, begging for him to let go and cave into the overwhelming heat that seemed to radiate from every pore in his body. He hadn't even realized that he was encased in it, the red flowed around his skin like a very extension of his body until it completed a part of him that he hadn't even known he had been missing. It was scary how natural the flames felt to him, what was even scarier was how he had so easily lost his temper with the one person who had seemed to have an affect on his well being.

He hated apologies but he knew that Yata Misaki deserved one.

The Red King scowled at the night sky, fishing his cigarettes out of his pocket as he took one out of the pack and pressed it to his lips, he ignited the end of it with minimal effort. He forced himself to focus on the smoke drifting around him and less on the way he felt ready to snap. He made a mental note that telling his clansmen about every detail about his life was not always a good thing, he had become accustomed to the idea of sharing every thought and feeling with them over the last month but he was beginning to see the error in his ways.

His clansmen had been wrong in saying that talking to them about this sort of thing would help him, it only made him feel worse. He didn't miss the _him_ of a month ago but he sure did miss the way that he kept to himself when it came to certain things, freely speaking had never really been Suoh Mikoto's style, he didn't know why he had begun to think differently. As soon as his cigarette was done he ground it under his heel, storming back in the direction of the metal door that led to bar HOMRA.

He descended the stairs as quickly as he had gone up them, not stopping until his feet hit the threshold of the main parlor. Izumo was cleaning glasses in his usual spot, a few customers scattered around the bar, some gazing into the new fish tanks they had had installed and others lounging in the new model booths they had brought in. Tatara was seated on the couch with Anna, who was intently listening to the cameraman speak about something Mikoto couldn't hear from across the room.

The Red King approached the bartender with a scowl deeply set on his face, "I want you to find out some information about Jungle, but don't get too deeply involved, I want to handle this personally."

"What? Why Jungle?" The blond whispered back in response, voice low so the customers wouldn't over hear their conversation.

"I'll explain that later, can you do it?"

"Funny you should mention that, I was actually asked to retrieve some information about them by someone else a few nights ago." Izumo countered as he carefully sat down the glass in his hands, "of course I can do it. I'm an informant, I'd be garbage if I couldn't."

"Munakata asked you, didn't he?"

"Yeah, he asked me not to say anything to you which I didn't agree too, by the way, we just haven't had a chance to talk." Kusanagi paused, lips twitching into a smirk, "you're looking for someone to pick a fight with, aren't you?"

"Ah."

"Well, there is a few Yakuza who have been trying to get information on our clan, one of my people said he knows where their base is located. Is that good enough for you? You look ready to kill someone," Izumo took the King's silence as his answer, he hastily pulled out his phone before writing down an address, handing the piece of paper to the younger man. "Have fun."

Mikoto left without a word, ignoring the prying stares he felt coming from Tatara and Anna. The Yakuza in question had been easy to find, the blond informant really never did let him down when it came to correct information. He approached the warehouse quietly enough, stopping only when he heard voices inside. Out of disgust his Aura flared, setting the metal gate that blocked his way to the building up in smoke, the men he had been after stared at him wide eyed, guns drawn and ready as if they would make some sort of difference.

"Who the hell are you?" A rather large man howled, his facial features were marred with scars, his left eye was also missing, Suoh noticed.

"Boss that's the guy, that's Suoh Mikoto." An underling squawked, hands shaking as he kept his pistol level with the Red King, though he paid it no mind.

"So you have business with me?" Mikoto asked with a scowl, sinking further into the warehouse and out of the street, out of sight of any passerby that happened to be in the area at the time. He heard the clicking of the guns, signaling they were ready for fire should he make another move, but he barely paid attention to it, instead he focused solely on the large man with the scars on his face, the obvious leader.

"Can't say we do at the time," the man chuckled darkly, "so why don't you just turn around and leave and we will try to over look this little intrusion."

"I'm afraid that's not going to happen," Suoh spat back, "I heard you've been asking around town about me, so here I am."

"Boss..." a few of the other men in the room said in unison but the ringleader ignored their terrified pleas.

"So what? We ask about a lot of people," the large man said as he took a step forward, "you got a problem with that?"

"Would you just shut up and fight me? That's what you want, right?" Mikoto smiled, a look extremely out of place given the situation but his adrenaline was finally flowing, his Aura practically screamed in delight.

"Fire," the leader said dryly, not realizing the irony in his command until it was too late. Flames licked the metal in his subordinates hands, melting the metal until the gunpowder exploded in their hands, surely taking off a few digits with it but the Red King found himself unable to care. He balled his hands into fists and charged into the fray blindly, dodging bullets with the help of the Red Aura. He was on the leader in a flash, his flame encased fist coming down hard on the man's nose before the action was repeated, sending the man flying into the air with minimal effort. The Red King followed up with a swift back heel kick, which left the man hurdling towards the concrete wall on the opposite side of the room in a split second.

Seeing him incapacitated sent him into an even more ravenous frenzy. He turned onto his underlings, blind with a rage that was not the fault of their own, but rather himself. With every punch and kick he threw he thought about the look of hurt that had flashed against his lover's face, and he _fucking hated_ the way the images were burned into his memory. He was mad at himself, yes, he was a bit mad at the Yakuza for snooping around his business too but this was a rage that could not be tamed nor brought up by something as trivial as Japan's gangsters. He had done this to himself.

He didn't even bother to try and count how many people he took down, others arrived for backup and he swept the floor with them with minimal effort, finding the whole situation more enthralling than it should have been. He heard their screams and calls, _Red Monster_ they called him, and he smiled even harder at the cries, _yes, I am a monster._

Eventually the body count was too high for him to even count and though he did not kill anyone the amount of broken limbs and faces made the warehouse look like a massacre had taken place. He knew the Yakuza weren't going to call the police, and why would they? They technically owned the police but not even they could escape from the law entirely. If word got out about some of the things they did, things Izumo and Mikoto knew, then they would be in over their heads, not with just Japan but other nations as well.

They were too afraid to talk, and if they weren't before he showed up well...they were when he left.

He slunk down the streets of Shizume, making a mental note to zip up his jacket to hide his blood stained white tee shirt after a few people ran away from him, terrified looks on their faces. But Mikoto was so used to that that it didn't even bother. He was intimidating enough as it was, a little blood scattered around his clothes didn't help his case any. Before heading back to HOMRA he stopped at a corner store, not his usual choice, but another that was tucked away beside the train station.

The clock on the side of the building told him it was nine at night, meaning he was missing the scheduled dinner he was supposed to be having with his clansmen but he couldn't bring himself to go back empty handed after what he had done. He clenched his fists, finally finding some solace now that the Red Aura that coursed throughout him had been quelled, but his skin pulled apart at the knuckles, causing a momentary flash of pain that would serve as a reminder of what got him into that situation in the first place.

He stalked down the isles, eyes vigorously scanning over the shelves though he truly didn't know what he was looking for. He wasn't the romantic type, he'd never been that way and had never had a reason too. One night stands weren't exactly romantic and for some reason people saw him as charismatic, if they could look past his imposing figure, and that had served as all the chemistry some of them needed. It was just his luck when a young woman approached him, a nervous smile on her lips as she folded her hands over her work apron, he forced himself to nod in her direction instead of scowl at her like he did to most people.

"Good evening, sir, are you finding everything all right?" Oddly enough her voice didn't falter, the nervousness that had twinkled in her eye vanished and she seemed rather...confident. _Charisma, I'm telling you,_ he thought to himself with a small shake of his head.

"Actually, I'm not," he paused, looking around to make sure no one else would over hear his conversation. The last thing he wanted was to be recognized and have someone over hear what he was about to ask, "I kind of pissed of my significant other and I don't know what to get them to apologize. Any suggestions?"

"Well, how big of a mistake are we talking here? That will help narrow it down," the young woman said with a chuckle as she turned on her heel and waved for him to follow her, which he did after surveying his surroundings again.

"Well I yelled at him, not really meaning to and I guess what I said was pretty...hurtful." He hated how the words sounded coming out of his mouth, they made him realize how much of an _ass_ he had been, though it had been entirely unintentional that was no proper excuse. _There isn't one, he was just worried about me._

"So your boyfriend?" She asked as she looked back over her shoulders, a kind smile playing on her lips, the Red King nodded his head in confirmation. "Well, I'm the florist here, so this is kind of my area of expertise. Though I'm not sure what your man likes, does he like sentimental stuff?"

Mikoto fought the urge to gawk at her bluntness, he decided he liked the woman's abrasive yet somehow kind personality.

"He's pretty indifferent on it, I think," he said as he followed her to the flower counter in the back of the store, "I'm not really into this sort of thing, I just feel like he deserves something."

"Well if you hurt his feelings I'd say this would be a good way to get back on his good side, male or female, everyone appreciates the beauty in flowers and the thought of an apology gift." She said wistfully as he she pulled a red ornate vase out from behind the counter, "what's your price range?"

"I don't have one."

"Smart man," she laughed as she began to pull out handfuls of red and white roses from a few long tubs that were seated on the floor, she worked intently until the vase was practically overflowing with the thorny flowers, "you think that's enough to make up for what you said?"

"I'd hope so, how many is that?" Mikoto asked out of curiosity as he studied the meticulously placed arrangement, trying to figure out why he hadn't thought about something as cliché as flowers.

"There's 24," the woman replied as she reached for a card and some sort of holder that came with it, she then tied a black and white ribbon around the vase, before sticking the card holder into the center of the arrangement. "Can I get a name?"

"Ah, it's Yata Misaki," the woman chuckled as she wrote out the name on the paper, he could have sworn she said " _that's a girl's name"_ under her breath, which slightly ticked him off but he let it slide under the circumstances. He automatically felt a pang of sympathy for his third in command, though that was short lived because the woman was handing him the vase as she escorted him to a cash register, ringing up the purchase in no time.

"You were good company so I gave you a small discount, your total is 7075 yen."

Mikoto mumbled a thank you as he fished his card out of his wallet, careful to avoid scraping his wounded knuckles against the rough exterior or his jeans in the process. After he paid and signed the receipt he thanked the girl again before turning on his heel and heading to the door, to his surprise she called after him.

"Make sure to hit a pillow or something next time, punching walls isn't good for your hands," she said with a smirk as if she understood the situation, the Red King nodded his head before stalking out of the building, finding the whole situation rather...off putting for some reason. With a bit of reluctance he continued towards the bar he now called home, hoping 24 roses and some odd number of Yakuza in the hospital would be enough to satisfy both himself and Yata.

0o0o0o0o

"This is Aya, you're never going to believe who just came into the store." The young woman mumbled into her phone as she switched the _Open_ sign over to _Closed_ , there was a pause on the other end of the line before the man spoke.

"Who would that be, Aya-chan?"

"Suoh Mikoto, the Red King, I've also got a bit of information that came straight from the horses mouth. Who knows how fun it could be to mess with him, knowing this." A twisted smile rose on her features.

"What do you want, Aya-chan?"

"20,000 Jungle points, now. I'll be a U-Rank if I accumulate that many, I could be even more useful," she laughed to herself, her form of blackmail had gotten her this far and she'd be damned if she didn't use it until she achieved her ultimate goal, being the strongest member of Jungle, save for the mysterious man who led them.

"Fine, check your account," the man was growing irritated, tired of her tactics though he couldn't fault her for it, he would have done the same thing had he been in her shoes. Once she opened the app and verified that the points had transferred, confirming her new ranking, she spoke again.

"The Red King has himself a lover now, that's got to be something we could use against him, right?"

The man on the other end of the line laughed, a sound so bitter and sickly sweet that it made her smile grow even wider.

"Perfect, who is it? Don't tell me it's the Blue King, that would be even more trouble for us."

"No, it's not the Blue King," she rolled her eyes, "it's a man that goes by Yata Misaki, I checked the app and apparently he's the leader of their Vanguard, it shouldn't be too hard to lure him out."

"Good work, Aya-chan. You earned those points, I'm impressed."

"So, is everything good for tonight?"

"Affirmative, the Blues won't even know what him them and we will have all the intel we need, the leader will be pleased with the way things are progressing."

The woman chuckled under her breath, "things are about to get interesting, ne, Yukari-san?"

"They are, Aya-chan, that they are."

0o0o0o0

By the time Mikoto got back to the bar everyone was finished eating, or so it seemed through the window he was looking through anyway. Yata was seated at the bar, a frown pulling on his lips as he pushed food around at a plate that in his lap, his eyes occasionally flitted over to the clock on the wall, as if he was waiting for Suoh to return. _They're gonna give me so much shit for this,_ the Red King thought to himself as he unzipped his coat with his free hand before opening the bar door.

The chime of the door broke the conversations going on apart, leaving nothing but silence in their wake as he stalked into the bar, right hand clutching the vase of roses he had brought back. He seethed at his clansmen when they shot him funny glances before he locked eyes with Yata, who looked equal parts shocked and sad, his eyes widened a bit in surprise as Mikoto came to stand before him, offering up the vase of roses, "here."

"For me?" Misaki blabbed, running his hand along the ornate vase as he watched his boyfriend nod his head slowly. After he removed the plate from his lap and set it behind him on the bar he took the flowers from him with a smile, eyes glancing over the arrangement and the card that had his name and a simple _I'm sorry_ written on the top border. "They're beautiful, thank you so much."

"You're not mad at me anymore?" Mikoto asked with a hopeful glance, hoping he wouldn't have to vocalize his remorse for the way he had lost his temper; but the look Misaki was giving him was a no nonsense one, his eyes practically screamed _I forgive you but you better apologize to me anyway._ Yata set the flowers aside.

"I'm sorry," the Third King whispered, letting go of his pride in order to make amends with the one person he felt he could spend an eternity by. He'd be damned if he let that go over something so petty, though he knew Yata would never leave him over something so trivial.

"It's okay, all is forgiven," Misaki grinned, "they really are beautiful. I can't believe you bought me flowers."

"It was an awkward experience," Mikoto admitted with a sigh, "but you deserved something for putting up with me."

"Putting up with the person you love is what you're supposed to do," the younger man whispered as he reached down to take the King's hand, which made him freeze in his place. "I just have one question, why are you covered in blood?"

"Yakuza," he replied in short, allowing his boyfriend to draw his hand closer to his face in order to inspect it.

"Feeling better now, Mikoto?" Izumo asked from behind the bar as he reached for his glass that had god knows what in it.

"Ah."

"Good, get yourself cleaned up then come back downstairs. We're all gonna watch a movie tonight if you're interested," Kusanagi said with a small wave, "take Yata-chan with you."

"Trying to get rid of me?" The skateboarder feigned offense, "I can take a hint. C'mon Mikoto-san."

The Red King slung the younger man's arms around his neck before scooping him up in his arms, ignoring the whistles and hoots he received because of it, Yata reached down and grabbed the vase before the pair headed upstairs to _their_ bedroom. Once they were over the threshold Yata demanded to be put down so he could sit the flowers on his night table, and with reluctance the older man complied, watching the skateboarder limp across the room so he could put the flower vase down.

"Let's get you cleaned up, okay?"

"I want to take a bath," Mikoto stated as he slid his jacket off of his arms, noting he'd need to wash it before he wore it again. Blood wasn't a fashion accessory, after all.

"I'll run you one," Misaki replied with a smile as he slowly made his way into the bathroom that was at the far end of the room, within a few moments Suoh heard the water click on. He stripped himself of his bloodied shirt and his necklace before taking the rings off of his fingers and laying them out on the dresser. Afterward he retrieved a pair of dark sweat pants and a dark gray v-neck of his as well as a fresh pair of boxers. By the time Yata was back he was sitting on the bed with his new clothes in his hands, the old ones were crumpled on the floor so he could grab them and throw them in the washing machine, minus his white shirt which would just have to find it's way to the trash.

"U-uhm it's almost ready," Misaki blushed, eyes averted from the half naked figure of the older man in the room, which slightly brightened Mikoto's brooding mood.

"Will you take a bath with me?" He mumbled without thinking, causing him to curse his own brain when Yata nearly fainted from the blood rush that flowed to his cheeks.

"W-what?"

"I don't mean it like that, you're hurt and I'm not gonna push myself on you," he started as he stood up, his clothes clutched under his stinging right hand, "I just want you to join me."

"B-but I don't know...uhm..." Yata stammered hastily as he leaned on the wall for added support, the gaze he held with Mikoto fell.

"Out with it."

"I just...it's gonna be tempting and I don't want you to think I don't want you too because I do but you're right and I'm really still hurt and you're hurt now and I'm rambling, aren't I?"

Suoh chuckled but nodded his head anyway, walking over to where the young man was leaning by the bathroom door. "You don't have to come if you don't think you can handle it but if you want too then you can. I just want to be close to you right now."

"I want to," Misaki whispered almost nervously, but this was all the King needed to hear. He gently escorted the younger man into the bathroom before closing the door, helping him out of his shirt like he had been doing for the last week and a half though this time it felt more sensual. He cursed his rotten luck. By the time he had helped a now very weak Yata out of the majority of his clothes he stopped the water in the massive bathtub before removing his boxers from his hips without a care in the world.

He didn't understand why Yata looked away, as if what he was about to see would be embarrassing, he was _his boyfriend_ after all. As far as he was concerned every ounce of his being breathed for the younger man, he didn't see why that would be hard to understand nor look at but he figured it was because Yata didn't have experience with this. It wasn't like he was going to pull anything, despite how much he wanted too.

"Yata, you can keep those on if you want," he deadpanned as he watched the younger man turn around when he had finally submerged himself in the hot bath water. It stung his fresh wounds but took away the griminess he felt cling to his skin, a shower probably would've been the better option but he felt too tired to stand after all he had done that night.

"No, that would be stupid. I'm coming in," Yata mumbled as he slowly peeled the remainder of his clothes off, eyes refusing to rise and meet the Red King's, that were studying every inch and _imperfection_ he could see, each thing that made up the man that was Yata Misaki. Every perfect imperfection seared into his memory like his life was flashing before his eyes, he had never felt so compelled to understand the crazy emotion that was love. Whatever it was, it fogged his head.

"Come here," Mikoto called out as he offered the younger man a hand, which he took though he didn't look up, not even when Mikoto lowered him-on the opposite side of the tub just to be cautious- did he make eye contact with his King. "You don't have to look away like that."

"I know it's just...I'm awkward I know," Yata threw his head back against the cool exterior of the tub, "it's just intimidating."

"Intimidating?" Suoh asked, raising an eyebrow at the suggestion as he rubbed at his knuckles to help clean them.

"Yeah, seeing you not dressed...I guess..." Yata sounded genuinely disheartened.

"Don't be like that, c'mon," Mikoto teased as he stretched out his aching legs, they brushed past Misaki's which in turn made the younger man jump.

"You try bathing with a guy who's twice as good looking as you could ever hope to be then tell me that," Misaki whined, throwing a hand over his eyes to shield them from whatever he was trying to avoid seeing.

"What the hell are you talking about?" The redhead inquired as he leaned his head on his elbow, "you trying to say you don't feel attractive enough?"

"Kinda, maybe, I don't know."

"Stop saying that kind of stuff, I think you're perfect the way you are," Suoh promised with a deep sigh, "if I didn't then we wouldn't be together in the first place."

"You're right, I'm being childish," Misaki laughed before peeling his hand away from his eyes, finally staring back at the other man after he did so. The Red King felt his blood rush a completely opposite direction from his face when the younger man looked him over through the water, he just hoped to god that wasn't noticeable.

It was quiet for a few moments, most of which were full of stolen glances at one another as they washed their skin, it was the younger man that eventually broke the silence.

"Mikoto," Yata began as he shifted on his side of the tub, "you like being reckless, right?"

"For the most part."

"W-wanna do something a bit...r-reckless?"

Mikoto paled in understanding.

"No, not when you're injured Yata, period. I'm not making that a bad memory for us."

"It won't be, and we don't even...h-have to go...you know...all the way, o-okay? I just...fuck...this is too difficult. How do you have that much self control?" The skateboarder scowled, crossing his arms across his chest as he relaxed back into the water.

"I don't, this is trying and you're not making it any better."

"Then let go," Misaki teased with a chuckle, "y-you're not gonna hurt me, I trust you."

"Everyone's downstairs."

"We'll be...q-quiet."

"Are you seriously coming onto me this strongly right now? What happened to Mr. I blush at the slightest thing?" Mikoto deadpanned with a raise of his eyebrow, feeling his self control slip further and further with every comment that was made. _It's a fucking miracle we aren't in bed already._ Yata's blush was horrendous at the moment but there was something in his eyes that ensnared the Red King's attention, it wasn't even a look of want, but more so one of pure _need._ He bit his lip.

"I'm...are you sure?" Mikoto leaned forward a bit, hands quickly grabbing a bar of soap so he could wash his chest to rid it of any possible blood that was dried on, when he was finished he caught Misaki's eyes, staring at him though he made no indication that he had come up with the an answer until he began to lean forward too.

"I've never been more sure," he promised, though there was a brief look that crossed his eyes that looked a bit like fear, it made Suoh reconsider everything.

"You trust me, right?"

"Absolutely."

"With everything?"

"Even my life."

"Then trust me when I say this," he murmured as he continued to lean forward until his lips grazed past Yata's ear, "I'm not gonna hurt you. I promise."

That was all the confirmation Yata needed, before he could even think he turned his head and attached his lips to Mikoto's. Their mouths moved in sync as Suoh carefully, yet effortlessly, scooped him up from the bath and walked him out of the bathroom towards their bed, their contact didn't even falter. Suoh only broke the kiss when he gently laid Misaki back on their bed, his hands trailed up and down the younger man's arm reassuringly as the smaller man leaned into his touch, he smiled when their eyes locked.

"I love you, Misaki."

"I love you too, Mikoto."

Suoh easily kept his promise.*

00o0o0o0

When Mikoto and a now half asleep, but extremely content, Yata joined up with the rest of their clan it became abundantly apparent that they had succeeded in _keeping quiet._ Something the Red King was proud of whilst Misaki only hid his head in his chest, face burning red as it had been since they had left their bed. The Red King felt like he was on cloud nine. He sat down beside Izumo, Tatara and Anna were on his other side as he drug his boyfriend into his lap, settling into the couch as they and the rest of HOMRA watched whatever movie Shouhei had selected for the evening.

"Someone's tired," Izumo whispered to him at one point, pointing at the sleeping face of Yata, who was curled up onto the King's chest, his head buried in the crook of his shoulder. "Try to take it easy on him."

"Please tell me it's not that obvious," the Third King mumbled under his breath, hoping no one else in the room had picked up on what they had tried to hide from them.

"It's not, I just know that look you get, I've known you the longest, this isn't the first time I've seen that look on you." Kusanagi lightly chuckled as he leaned back into the couch and glanced over at his best friend. "But you look really happy, you think you found what you were looking for?"

"Ah," Mikoto grumbled quietly, hands tracing patterns into the small tee shirt Yata was wearing.

"Good, I'm happy for you," Izumo sighed as he turned his attention back to the movie, it was then that Mikoto came to a small realization, one he was quick to vocalize.

"I don't care if you date Seri Awashima."

The bartender practically gawked at him.

"What?"

"I said, I don't care if you date Seri Awashima," he repeated with a click of his tongue, "just keep her out of HOMRA's business."

"You're sure?"

"Ah."

"Wow, I don't really know what to say," Izumo reached up to scratch the back of his neck, "just...thanks."

"Ah."

"I never asked her out because I knew you didn't approve," the blond whispered as he averted his friend's attention back to himself, "your approval was kind of important to me. I didn't want you thinking I valued my own wants over HOMRA's."

The Red King frowned, suddenly coming to the realization that he had been the one to block his friend's way to happiness all of this time. He tried to imagine what it would be like if the roles were reversed and found the frown on his face morphing into a scowl at the mere suggestion. "I'm sorry it took me this long. You deserve to be happy."

"No, don't apologize. I never thought this day would come so I'm a bit flabbergasted," Izumo admitted with a content sigh, "now if only the Blue King would feel the same way."

"I'll talk to him."

"Are you serious?" The disbelief in the blond's voice was practically unbelievable.

"Ah."

"Mikoto, you really are the best King a guy could ask for." The pair exchanged a knowing look before returning their attention back towards the moving pictures on the projector screen, though it was apparent neither of them were really paying that much attention.

0o0o0o0

Halfway through the horror film Suoh's phone alerted him to a new email, something he initially ignored but found himself checking out of curiosity as he broke his attention away from the haunted house movie and his eyes raked over his phone screen. It was a message from Munakata, _odd_ , but there was a file that was attached to it as well. One that simply read, **"JUNGLE".**

The note written before the email was even more vague.

 _ **Suoh,**_

 _ **Before we begin the process of gathering intel on the enemy, here is a file of everything I could find on Jungle's website that made mentions of HOMRA. Some are rather disturbing, but I figured you'd want to know about these things. Also, maybe it could help you get into the fighting spirit. We will talk soon, please take care of yourself and send my get well wishes along to Yata, I do hope he makes a speedy recovery.**_

 **Until next time,  
** _ **Reisi Munakata  
Captain, Scepter4**_

The Red King frowned as he clicked download on the file, waiting impatiently for the large digital .pdf to open. When it did he got to work, reading each and every single post, story, and mission that the people in Jungle had said about him and his clansmen. Munakata had been right, some of these made his skin crawl.

"Everyone, we're having a small meeting when this is over," Mikoto spoke up as he continued to read through the new missions that had been posted, there were a few questions directed his way about what was going on but he chose to ignore them for now, finding himself unable to tear his eyes away from the screen that was in his hands.

0o0o0o0

The meeting with HOMRA had went over a lot worse than Mikoto had thought it would. After reading the file and seeing screen shots of what exactly the Green Clan was saying about the Red Clan the members of HOMRA were beyond pissed off. Not that he could exactly blame them.

The taunts were ignorant, Mikoto thought, mainly just a few punks spreading rumors that he had been the one to kill the Colorless King and that his Sword of Damocles was on the brink of collapse now, which was quite opposite from the truth.

The others were a lot more invasive to their privacy, some users disclosed his clansman's routine schedules and posted possible missions that they would act out if and when they could catch them out of bar HOMRA but what Mikoto found odd was the fact they wanted him to be present before they pulled anything. It almost made him want to show up unexpectedly at one of these so called missions just so he could crash their party. He hated to break it to these kids, but he wasn't some normal man that could be taken down by flashy toys and bullets. _Guess they'll figure that out the hard way,_ he had thought when he initially saw them.

Three missions in particular pissed him off, one was a plan to attack himself and Anna if they were ever in the Green Clan's territory, the other was the same except it included Tatara, but the last one he read made his skin crawl. **4,000 Points to Kill the Wounded Yata Misaki, and 100,000 Points for the Red King's Head** , it had read. Attacking people when they were already weak was something that bothered the Third King, who liked a fair fight, it was cowardly and showed no ounce of pride but he didn't know what else he had expected. It wasn't like Jungle was known for their honor, they were more known for their vastness.

HOMRA had a hard time understanding that he didn't want their help, even Izumo gave him shit for it but he found himself unable to budge on the subject. He didn't want to have anymore of his clansmen injured nor did he want pointless causalities, he figured Munakata expected this and wondered why his own clan didn't. He issued the order to only use their Auras should they come in a life or death situation, affective until the end of December which was still 16 days away.

His Weismann level was down to 45, according to the Blues who had checked his reading on the night of Anna's birthday, which was something he was yet to bring up to anyone.

Considering it usually was a 60 when it was stagnate this was seen as tremendous progress though it paled in comparison to Munakata's 20. He still had a ways to go until he was in the safe zone between a 15 and 35 but he was becoming more and more stable with every day he rested. They projected it to be down to 30 by the end of the month at the rate he was going. His highest activation level was a 75, still high but much better than the 85 he pegged at in small skirmishes and the 90 he reached during the height of a particularly grueling fight he had had with the Blues a year ago.

He had nearly lost it that day, just a bit more power and he would've been a goner. A score of 96 or higher was the start of a Damocles Down, a 100 was certain death, the Red King shivered at the thought.

It was late in the night when everyone left, Izumo went downstairs to begin cleaning up dishes from their dinner with the help Tatara. Meanwhile, Mikoto took Anna to bed and climbed into his own next to Misaki, who he had took into their room before the meeting had begun. He had just laid down and made himself comfortable when he heard a sharp buzzing sound come from his nightstand, his phone screen lit up the dark room and the vibrations shook the wood table so loudly he was shocked the man next to him didn't stir. It came up as **Scepter 4 Headquarters** but Mikoto automatically knew who it was.

"Munakata, it's not like you to be up this late at night," Suoh answered in greeting as he shifted his legs over the side of the bed, sitting up so he faced the window on the other side of his room.

"Suoh this is urgent, I hate to ask but are you available at this time? Also, did you get my email?" Reisi's voice was thick, obviously laden with sleep but there was a dark tone in his voice, it sounded grim and was certainly not something the Red King had heard since their visit to Ashinaka High School. He could picture the Blue King now, sitting at his desk with his hands clasped on top of the wood, his head resting on them as he spoke via speaker phone, it was almost too easy for the Third King to imagine.

"What's going on? It's three thirty in the morning, and yeah, I got it." Mikoto grumbled, scratching at the healed wound on his side that did nothing more than itch at this point.

"I know it's late but there has been a development," Mikoto could practically envision the younger man's look of distress as the words came out of his mouth. "Jungle has launched a cyber attack on Scepter 4, Fushimi-kun is working hard to stop this and our systems for our communications have been recovered but I'm afraid a lot of important information has been compromised."

"I thought your equipment was state of the art, how did they manage to hack into it?" _And why does this concern me?_ The Red King wanted to ask but he bit his tongue to stop himself, behind him he felt Yata stir.

"Mikoto?"

The older man turned around and showed him his phone, which made the half asleep man nod his head a little bit as he sat up, rubbing his eyes before he crawled over to his King. He wrapped his arms around his neck and leaned his head between his shoulders, an action that made Suoh want to sink back into the bed and curl up with the younger man so he could finally sleep but the man on the other end of the phone apparently had other ideas.

"It is, that's what's so disturbing about this whole scenario. Our codes change every ten seconds so it's technically impossible for someone to hack into our system."

"So you're saying that someone hacked into your system within ten seconds?"

"Precisely. It's a chilling thought," Munakata sighed on the other end of the line, "the reason I called is because I don't need your help precisely, but I need you to bring one of your clansmen over here to help us get our system running again."

"And who would that be? My guys never mess around with computers," Mikoto felt the urge to scratch his head at that but instead he settled for placing a hand over Yata's that were still wrapped around his neck affectionately.

"Yata Misaki, did you not know that he and Fushimi-kun once hacked into Jungle's database back in their earlier years?" Mikoto felt his breath hitch in his throat, "Fushimi says he taught Yata the other half of their pass codes and he claims he doesn't remember them as they were, but says that Yata might still have the codes written down somewhere."

"So are you trying to regain control of your system or hack into Jungle?" Suoh grumbled, if Misaki heard any of their conversation he made no indication of it.

"I don't think you understand the situation, Suoh. We don't have a system at the moment, we have to hack into Jungle to take it back, God only knows how long that can take." There was brief pause on the other line, "I am prepared to offer you and Yata accommodations and anything else I can to make you both feel comfortable here, I know it is not an ideal situation but you did agree to help me."

"I know," Mikoto hissed, a frown growing on his lips, "let me talk to him and I'll text you what he says. Your phone is still working, right?"

"Yes, my personal phone is not connected to our network so it is fine. From here we might need to be a bit discreet, so if you are coming to our headquarters just send me a message saying yes, if there is a problem send a no and I will give you a call."

"I see."

"Bye Suoh."

"Bye Munakata," the Red King exhaled deeply as he hung up the phone. The last thing he wanted was to go to the heart of Scepter 4 at three thirty in the morning, he wanted to _cuddle the shit_ out of Yata and go to bed, but as he had said previously, it was always something between Scepter 4 and HOMRA. "We need to go to Scepter 4's Headquarters."

"What? Why? And we? I thought you wanted me to stay in bed after all of that..." Misaki sounded beyond offended at the suggestion and honestly, Mikoto couldn't blame him.

"I do want you to stay in bed, hell, I want to stay in bed too but it's urgent. Apparently Jungle has hacked their system and Saruhiko said he can't remember the codes you two used to hack into Jungle some odd years ago. Do you remember those?"

"Yeah, they're at my apartment in his old notebook...shit, I don't want to work with the Monkey, please don't make me go." Yata whined, burying his face farther into the older man's back.

"I'm not going to make you go, if you want I can go get the codes and take them over there." Mikoto sighed as he dropped his hand from his boyfriend's, he stuffed it into the pocket of his black sweatpants with a scowl.

"Ugh, no, if I don't go I'll be ashamed of myself. I'll go but only on one condition," Yata began as he leaned up, his head falling on Mikoto's shoulders as he pressed his lips to the King's skin, kissing away the tension he felt rising in his exhausted body.

"What's that?"

"You have to stay beside me at all times, I don't want to be alone with Saru."

"I don't plan on leaving you alone with him, trust me." The Red King hissed, remembering how irritated he had become thanks to the conversation he had had with his former clansmen.

"Don't want anyone spending that much time with me? Mikoto-san, are you jealous?"

"Not jealous, over protective maybe, but not jealous." He put too much emphasis on the last word, making him sound a whole lot more bitter than he really was which also did little to help his case, but he supposed Yata didn't even understand his anger towards his ex-clansmen in the first place. The leader of the Vanguard chuckled.

"I have one condition as well," the Third King mused as he turned to look at the younger man, who raised an eyebrow at the comment. "You're not walking around, I'll carry you and ask Munakata to have a wheelchair ready when we get there. Your wounds looked terrible today."

"A wheelchair?" Yata groaned, "I'm not entirely helpless, I can walk just fine."

"Yata."

"Fine, but I'm not gonna be happy about it."

"You don't have to be happy about it, but that's an order." Mikoto grumbled as he relaxed back into his lover's firm hold, "we better get going."

"Yeah," Misaki whispered in response, "there's something I've been meaning to tell you about anyway. Can we talk about it in the car?"

"Ah," the Red King answered, though he felt a burning curiosity grow in his stomach.

Patience was a virtue but it was also one he didn't possess.

0o0o0o0

With the codes in hand, the two of them quickly made their way back into Izumo's Lexus, which they got from the bartender after offering up a brief explanation along with a plan for him, Tatara and Anna to come by in the morning. Yata climbed into the passengers seat with a sigh, one that sounded out exhausted and pained at the same time, though the look on his face told a completely different story. He looked...nervous.

"What did you want to tell me?" The Red King asked as he lit a cigarette, pulling the car out of the parking spot it was in as he started the short journey to Scepter4's headquarters, he didn't understand why but the air in the car grew thick.

"I'm just gonna come out and say it," Yata announced as he laid back further in the car's seat, the notebook in his hands clutched firmly to his chest. "Saruhiko and I used to be together."

"I had a feeling," Mikoto commented, not understanding why that was such a big deal. He hadn't realized it at first but after he saw the photos of the two at Yata's apartment he had put two and two together just like anyone else would have. "It's not a big deal."

"No, not anymore, but he's...well..."

"He hates me, right?" Suoh inquired as he headed into the heart of Tokyo, "I couldn't care less."

"Correction, he thinks you stole me from him. He's always been so possessive over things, that's why I was in such a funk earlier in the week. When I woke up after the incident at Ashinaka High School we argued about you and us, in short."

"He'll move on in time, Yata, it's not your job to make everyone else happy. It's your job to make you happy," the Red King declared as he brought the car to a halt at a stoplight, he turned and glanced over at the younger man. "Do what makes you happy, like Tatara says, It'll all work out in the end.

"You're right," Misaki smiled as he glanced out of the passenger side window, "I'm happier now than I've ever been."

"Then that's all that matters, Fushimi will get over it."

"Kinda like Munakata and you, ne?"

The Red King practically slammed on the breaks at the abruptness of that statement. "What makes you think that?"

"It's so obvious, he adores you, though I hate to break it to him but your eyes tell a story opposite of his."

"It was a fling, nothing serious," the Third King commented, "I've never had a relationship before."

"I believe you, and I wouldn't care if you had been in a relationship with him, what's in the past is there for a reason." Yata yawned, stretching out his aching limbs the best he could in the car, "I think I need to ask them to change my medicine, these pills suck."

"Still feeling completely out of it?"

"Yeah, it's been even worse at night lately and I can't stand it."

"Well, we will get it sorted out," the Red King promised as he turned into the gated area that was Scepter4's base, he explained himself to the guard at the post, who reluctantly opened the thick metal doors after receiving confirmation that he was allowed to enter the premises. Mikoto followed the lines on the strip of road until he reached a small private parking lot, one he presumed was used for only the core members of Scepter4. "Ready?"

"As ready as I'm ever going to be," Yata sighed as he watched the older man shut the car off, "do I really have to use a wheelchair?"

"Ah."

"But Mikoto-san," he whined, drawing his name out as long as he could before the Red King was at the passenger side door, scooping him out of the seat without so much as a word. Yata made a mental note that puppy dog eyes only worked in certain occasions, much to his dismay. Though, to his relief, a wheelchair had been placed outside of the front of the building, meaning he didn't have to be carried bridal style by his King through the halls of enemy territory, that sounded like a nightmare waiting to happen.

Scepter4's headquarters reminded the Red King a lot of a hospital. Clean white and blue floors, a grand staircase on each side of the entry way, fountains, and the smell of cleanliness hung in the air, it made him turn his nose up in disgust. Reisi Munakata was waiting for him in the front foyer between the two staircases, he strode down the last set and it took Mikoto every ounce of self control he had not to laugh at the man who looked more like real royalty than a supernatural being.

"Suoh, Yata, it's good to see you, thank you for coming over here so quickly."

The Red King nodded his head in greeting, much like Yata did, choosing to remain silent rather than say something that might just set the strange Blue King off.

"Are you ready to get down to work?"

"As ready as we're gonna be," Mikoto grunted as he shook his head a bit to relieve himself of the exhaustion he felt edge into the cracks of his mind, Yata looked a little worse for wear, too.

"Coffee?" Munakata suggested as he led the duo to an elevator on the far side of the room, pushing the button for the third floor as he clasped his hands in front of his uniform. Both the Red King and Yata smirked.

"We'll take all you've got."

"Of course," Reisi paused as he readjusted his glasses, "we have a long night ahead of us, after all."

Though it needn't be said, the words made the Red King scowl, the thought of no sleep finally catching up to him. He glanced down at Yata, who was staring up at him with an unreadable yet slightly exasperated look and he swore he was going to make a vow to start turning his phone on do not disturb before he laid down for sleep each night. Mikoto sighed.

"I should have stayed in bed."


	9. Killer

**A/N:  
The start of this chapter is told from a few different people's P.O.V, so the name at the top of each section is who the focus will be on before we dive deeper into the plot line for arc 2. I might start to include another pairing into this story minus the few we've already seen so be prepared for that, though it will happen subtly. And no, it doesn't involve either of the mains, they are exclusive. XD**

 **This chapter is also a bit longer than usual, usual being about 10k words, this one is 11,300 words. How did this story get so long? XD I've enjoyed writing this way too much, this chapter was one of my favorites to write so I do hope you enjoy it. :D**

 **Warnings: Depictions of violence, a whole lot of feelings, and some signs of a mental breakdown.**

 **0o0o0o0o**

 _Munakata Reisi_

Everything was in an utter state of chaos, and if there was one thing he hated more than burnt coffee, it was chaos.

When he had taken over Scepter4 a year ago he had made sure he organized everything a very particular way, a way that matched his ridiculously high standards that he prided himself on keeping. Call him uptight or what have you, but he found peace in organization, solace. Receiving a call at two in the morning, when he had just left his office at one, having spent the last sixteen hours there, was the last thing he had wanted to happen. Hearing that his system, a system he had made a very particular way, had been hacked and disabled, well that was his nightmare, in short.

He tried to deal with the matters internally. He even went as far as to order Seri Awashima to call every single one of their trusted hackers but the answer came back almost immediately, _we don't mess with Jungle._ He offered them protection in exchange for their work but still, they all declined, insisted that this was a job too big and too risky for them to take on. Enter Fushimi Saruhiko, Scetper4's very own computer genius.

He watched the young man like a hawk, thinking it would quell his worries, but seeing his third in command frustratedly slamming his fingers onto the keyboard did little to calm the swells of doubt that came over him. He thought about all the information in those systems, all the access they had, before he set up a special team in charge of contacting their allies and asking them to cut off the servers that usually ran for Scepter4. The less Jungle could see the better, and like hell did they need to know how deep the Blue's intel networks ran.

People were running around the building, barking orders and placing phone calls he had ordered to have made but that only brought him into a foul mood.

"Captain, I need you to do something for me," Saruhiko had slunk into his office, clearly exhausted from the thirty something hours he had already been on duty, prior to the collapse of their network.

"Come in, Fushimi-kun," he motioned as he rested his head on his clasped hands, the younger man obliged, shutting the door behind him. "Have a seat, you look exhausted."

"Permission to speak freely?"

Munakata nodded his head.

"This fucking sucks," Saruhiko groaned, something so ridiculous the Blue King couldn't help but chuckle, nodding his head in agreement. "I can't remember the other half of the codes I used to hack into Jungle's system a few years ago, either they've changed their own servers or I'm going to have to ask someone who hates my guts for them."

"Oh? You know someone who might be able to help us out here?" This sparked the King's interest, any additional help would be huge at this point, they were losing ground and when it came to a _cyber war_ , well that was detrimental, especially if they were to try and turn this around.

"Yeah, I do, but like hell would he help." Fushimi clicked his tongue, "unless you can convince his _other half_ to have a chat with him."

"So you're insinuating that I know these people?" Reisi asked as he leaned forward on his desk, "and who might they be, Fushimi-kun?"

"It's Misaki who knows the other half of the codes, my notebook should still be where I left it unless he burned all of my belongings," he paused as if he was remembering something, "which wouldn't be unlike him, come to think of it."

"Yata-kun is the one who knows this? Well I don't see how that would be a problem, convincing Suoh to talk to him, that is," the Blue King bit his lip, "he does owe me that favor now."

"Why is it that the Red King listens to you like he does?" Saruhiko rested his hands on his knees, his head moving atop them, "I mean, he actually listens to your opinions. I don't understand it."

"Suoh might seem like nothing short of a brute with no sense of reason but he does respect people to a certain degree," Munakata explained with a deep intake of breath, "it does help that I have known him for well over eight years."

"That long, eh?" Fushimi mumbled as he adjusted his glasses, "so does he know how deeply in love with him you are?"

"Fushimi-kun I'm shocked," the Blue King laughed, "permission to speak freely does not grant you permission to say such rude things."

"Actually permission to speak freely means just that," Saruhiko corrected as he glanced down at the floor, "I was just curious."

"I am trying to get our system up and running again and here you are, asking me about my love life, this is certainly an odd topic for the time."

"Hardly, and don't act like you haven't disabled our servers already, we've already got our system back, we just need to retrieve it."

Reisi closed his eyes, trying extremely hard not to lose his patience with the young man sitting in front of him. "Suoh knows, yes, but I do not plan on pursuing anything. Fraternizing with the enemy is against our code of ethics and besides, I don't think I could handle that man and his mood swings."

"He's like a woman that is constantly on her period," Fushimi seethed as he refocused his attention on his now giggling King.

"He would have your head if he heard you say such a thing," the Captain chuckled, earning a grin from his third in command. "Allow me to make this phone call and we can finish our discussion."

"Yeah yeah," Saruhiko murmured out of sheer exhaustion, a sentiment the Blue King was more than happy to share.

0o0o0o0o

 _Fushimi Saruhiko_

He watched the Blue King dial the Red King's number with a scowl, which only intensified when the older man put him on speaker phone. The last thing he wanted was to hear Suoh Mikoto's voice, but fate apparently had other plans, so did his Captain.

He halfheartedly listened to their conversation, ears picking up slightly when he heard a familiar voice in the background, it was faint, but his trained ears picked it up without having to strain them at all. _Mikoto?_ , he swore he hated the way the name sounded coming out of Misaki's mouth, he hated it in general but the tone of voice the skateboarder used when he spoke that _godforsaken_ name made him want to hurl.

He toned the rest of the conversation out, only snapping out of his daydream when the Blue King coughed awkwardly, it was then that Saruhiko realized he was off the phone. "Sorry."

"No, I was just a bit concerned, you look like you're ready to snap," the Captain laughed and it was a noise so sickly sweet that it made the ex-HOMRA clansmen smirk in understanding.

"If anyone looks put off it's you, Captain. It's a funny situation, don't you think? Looks like you and I are two of a kind," Saruhiko chuckled, _and why the hell wouldn't he_ , it was hilarious. Here they were, both suffering the same fate at the hands of two people who were allegedly happily attached to one another. The irony in it all made him cackle like a mad man.

"It is a rather peculiar situation, I try not to think about it," Munakata answered with an abrupt sigh.

"Try being the key word there, eh?"

"Precisely, but here I am being a bad example to you," Reisi looked down at his hands, "they are the enemy at the end of the day. Despite whatever happens in the now, they will be the goal at the end, bringing down HOMRA that is."

"HOMRA's gonna be a pain in the ass for a few more years to come, but who knows, at the rate things are going it might be within the next few months. I mean the Colorless King incident was less than two weeks ago and here we are, knee deep in trouble with the Green Clan, next thing you know the Silver Clan is going to turn on us then it's an all out war with the Red Clan."

"If I didn't know any better I'd say that that is something you'd wish for, the look on your face tells me that anyway."

"Perhaps, I just want to end that bastard's life," Saruhiko hissed as he sat up in his seat, eyes locking onto his King's in a heated yet silent glance.

"You'd go as far as to kill Yata-kun?" Munakata inquired with a raise of his eyebrows, seemingly genuinely interested in what the younger man had to say for himself after letting that information slip out of his mouth.

"Not Misaki," Fushimi grinned, "I'd say something but I'm afraid you'd be angry if I said it."

"Suoh would wipe the floor with you, if that's what you mean." Saruhiko glared at him, "if you want to even have a remote chance of killing him you better turn out to be a King."

"Then renounce your throne already so I have a fair chance," Fushimi teased, though a part of him remained a bit serious, if Reisi noticed it he didn't say anything.

"You think you're the next in line?"

"Guess I wont know anything for certain for some time but I don't see how it isn't a possibility, I'm not like everyone else."

"You'd be a terrible King," Reisi said with a smile though it did nothing but make Saruhiko tense up, "you have no loyalty, not even to me. How do you expect to be a leader when you have no leadership qualities besides being a skilled swordsman and being intelligent?"

"Ouch, no need to be so rude," Fushimi huffed as he relaxed back into the chair he was in, ignoring the way the words stung, "I know I'm not good enough to be a leader yet, but one day I will be."

"If you should be chosen as a King I hope you mature a lot between now and then, you have potential but you seem reluctant to use it."

"Maybe I want to learn but haven't been given the chance, have you ever considered that?" Saruhiko was beginning to get annoyed, he knew this side of the Blue King only came out when he was dead tired and stressed to the max but this playful yet sharp personality of his could be a headache when he got rolling on a subject.

"Would you like to start shadowing me, Fushimi-kun? I am not saying I think you will become a King one day but it could help you at least grow to be stronger, which is what you want, right?" He blinked a few times before glancing back up at the man who sat proudly behind his desk.

"You're serious?"

"I suppose that's not such a bad idea," he answered with a click of his tongue, "I guess I do have a few things I could learn from you."

"That's the spirit," Reisi replied wistfully as he stood up from his chair, "please use my computer to bring up the things you need too, I will wait in the foyer and escort them here when they arrive."

"Joy," Saruhiko grimaced as he reluctantly slunk over to the leather office chair his boss usually occupied, Munakata placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Please try to get along with them, I know this is a lot to ask but please try."

The younger man blinked a few times, wondering if he had just imagined the Blue King saying that to him or if that had actually happened, he had never heard his voice seem so sincere, it sent a chill down his spine.

"Yes, sir."

0o0o0o

 _Yata Misaki_

"Fushimi-kun is in my office, already entering his half of the codes, Yata-kun we will escort you there," Munakata said with a smile as he continued to lead the HOMRA pair down the long corridors of Scepter4's headquarters. It took a moment for Misaki to understand what he meant.

"What? You expect me to be alone with Saru?"

"Just for a moment, I need to have a word with Suoh."

"Why can't you just tell me in your office?" Mikoto asked blandly as he leaned down and brushed a stray ball of lint off of Yata's red and black flannel shirt, something he had slipped on over his black v-neck that he had been wearing in favor of his usual white shirt. The man in the wheelchair glanced back at his King, noting how strange it was to see Mikoto out of his usual attire, he wore the same kind of jeans he usually did but had slipped a black hoodie over his head in favor of his blood stained coat, not like Yata could blame him. He made a mental note to have that cleaned for him, knowing the Red King would likely forget to do it.

"It's a rather important topic," Reisi offered weakly through a gritted smile, something that made the youngest man's skin crawl.

"It's fine Mikoto-san, I'll survive," Misaki sighed, a wary expression rising to his face as he tilted his head back and looked at his King through his hair, he also made a mental note that a trim was in order. "Don't worry about me."

"Tch," was all he got in response, not like he expected much else. It kind of went without saying but Mikoto did have a reputation to keep up, especially around the Blues. If he all of the sudden started acting all lovey-dovey out in public that would just be embarrassing for him, Yata shared that sentiment. He didn't want people seeing that side of himself either, that was best saved for when they were alone, he thought anyway. Tonight, Mikoto was strictly business.

"Here we are," Reisi waved at the door, which he then opened by entering a pass code that was on the side of the door frame.

"I can take it from here," Misaki said as he removed the notebook from his lap and gripped his hands on the side of the wheels, hating how helpless he probably looked.

"Of course, Suoh just follow me, we can go to the balcony and chat."

The Blue King was already walking down the hallway, though the Red King didn't follow him at first, instead he grabbed Yata's shoulder until they made eye contact.

"I'll be back soon, don't let him get to you."

"I understand, I'll see you soon," he offered back in response, a small smile playing on his lips. "Really, I mean it. Go, the sooner we get done here the better, right?"

"Right," Mikoto confirmed with a grunt as he released his grip, walking down the corridor until he caught up with the Blue King who was waiting for him, he watched the two disappear before he finally gathered the courage to go inside and face his former best friend, amongst other things.

"I got your notebook," he exclaimed as he pushed himself over to the side of what he presumed was the Blue King's desk, he flung the old and faded blue notebook onto the table in front of the other man. "That's the one isn't it?"

"Yeah, that's the one," Saruhiko grumbled as he barely glanced down at it, when he did Yata saw this corner of his eyes twitch, it was subtle but he knew he was being studied at that point. He tensed up in the wheelchair. "That bad off, huh?"

"No, I can walk, I'm just not supposed to," he replied with a frown, eyebrows knitting together as he glanced up at the projection screen that served in place of a monitor. "Looks like you've got most of them, though I guess I wouldn't know any better, this was always your thing."

"Yeah," Fushimi acknowledged as he flipped open his notebook, both of them choose to ignore a photo that was stuck in the inside cover, one of the two of them laying in bed together, smiling at the camera as if they hadn't had a worry in the world. _But back then I guess we didn't,_ Yata thought to himself as he glanced over the older man's shoulder. "Will you read these off to me when I ask for them? I'll call them by row."

"Sure," he replied, wondering how long it would take for the two of them to start arguing with one another, he just hoped Mikoto would come back before that could happen. He was not in the mood for a confrontation, not at four in the morning when he was running on barely any sleep.

"Let's start with row 31," Saruhiko stated as he reached out and took Yata's hand, something that made the Red clansmen freeze, though that soon faded when the Blue's third in command made it fall over the row he was referring too. "It's a mess, that was easier than it explaining it."

"No worries," he remarked, though that wasn't exactly how he was feeling. "Row 31 is..."

And eventually he lost track of how long it had been since Munakata and Mikoto went away for their chat, after awhile he heard the door click open but no one came inside so he disregarded it. Saruhiko and him were actually working together, and it was just like they used to do. Not once did they make snarky comments or nag each other, their teamwork had fallen back into step and briefly Yata forgot that they were currently enemies.

"Ro-"

"Hello!"

Both men jumped at the sudden intrusion that was a small dinosaur that popped it's head in the corner of the screen, blinking as if it were actually keeping an eye on them. They spared a glance at each other before averting their attention back to the animated creature. Saruhiko attempted to work on the codes again but the dinosaur shook it's head, "you are not authorized to access this information."

"Of course I'm not fucking authorized, Misaki do you remember the code we used to hack their security system the second time around? Not the one that got caught but the good one?" Saruhiko sighed in defeat as he relaxed back into his boss' chair, watching the other man skim through the pages until a smile lit up on his face.

"Is this it?"

"Yeah, that's the one." Fushimi announced as he looked the notebook over before his fingers hit the keys again, he got a few lines into his old code before the pixelated dinosaur let out a guttural growl, something that made him hasten his work.

"Stop trying to do that, it's not going to work," came another voice, this time a green parrot popped up in the right hand corner, "I'm assuming this is the work of Fushimi Saruhiko of Scepter4, and if that's the case, I've already blocked your codes. They don't work here anymore. Feel free to try and take your system back but you might find I have one upped you when it comes to coding."

Saruhiko and Yata exchanged nervous glances.

"Stop this now, I will return your Clan's system when I have the information I need."

"He keeps saying, "I", do you think that's one of Jungle's actual clansmen?" Misaki asked as he bit his lip, eyes trained and focused solely on the animated bird that was tormenting them.

"Probably," Fushimi admitted as he grabbed a pen and flipped through his notebook, "I'm gonna try to override this." Yata watched as he made a short list of abbreviations that meant absolutely nothing to him, though the look of concentration on his ex's face said he didn't need to worry about it. When he was done he started typing as quickly as he could, eyes narrowing in frustration as the bird in the top corner began to laugh.

"Your codes have always been so beautiful, it's a shame they are also easy to predict once you get the hang of them," it taunted, wings flapping back and forth, "keep trying, please. This is entertaining."

"Shut the hell up," Saruhiko hissed as he deleted what he had typed and began trying something else.

"What are you doing?" The bird exclaimed, it was then that Yata began to notice the screen was glitching out, still Fushimi worked diligently. "Why you li-" the screen went black before anything else could be said.

"Did you do it?" Misaki beamed, eyes twinkling like they used to anytime his former house mate used to hack into anything successfully, "Saru, you did it!"

"God that was a pain in the ass," Fushimi grumbled, though a small smile came to his lips as he glanced over at the overly exited brunette. "Thanks, I guess."

"For what?"

"The help, that wasn't as easy as it was the last time, but we aren't done yet, now that I'm in I need to find our system and I guarantee they've re-scripted it."

"Damn, this is gonna take awhile, isn't it?" Yata whined, his expression falling into one of pure exhaustion, "oh well, let's get it over with."

"Yeah, good idea."

They agreed on a plan of _attack_ before actually setting off into their work. First they would scribble down a list of random words they came up with off the top of their heads, then they'd encrypt the new code with those words, ensuring it remained secure and impossible to guess. From there they would launch an attack on the database of Jungle, pulling all of the files that had been stolen from them by using a list of keywords, they also jumbled the letters in those words, making an impossibly long list of possibilities that would hopefully leave the Green Clan in shock. And if they had the time...they'd also steal all of the files from Jungle's database while simultaneously re-scripting Scepter4's network with a password that changed every second, it was a flawless plan, Yata thought.

"Can we offer you all some coffee?"

Reisi Munakata poked his head in the door, a smile on his face as he watched the other two men across the room jump at his intrusion.

"Why haven't you been in here helping out?" Fushimi groaned, throwing his head back in frustration.

"And where is Mikoto-san?" Yata questioned as he crossed his arms, glancing at the clock on the opposite side of the wall that read 6:03 A.M. For two hours he had been so involved with his work that he hadn't even realized time had passed at a much quicker rate then he would've liked to believed.

"We were coming back around an hour ago but you two looked hard at work so we decided not to bother you." Munakata answered as he pressed the door the rest of the way open, walking in the room with his hands clasped in front of him as Mikoto leaned in the doorway, a small smile was sent Yata's way. "Do you need help? I received a complaint about a possible Strain attack so though we have all of this going on I will need to go out and investigate, I was going to have Suoh come with me seeing as we are so short staffed because of this."

Yata watched Mikoto pull out his phone and type out a quick message before he shoved it back into the kangaroo pouch on his hoodie. His own phone buzzed in his pocket.

"No we don't need your help, we've managed to get in, now we just have to recover the files." Saruhiko grumbled, though Yata stopped paying attention to what he was saying in favor of checking his phone.

 **From: Mikoto ^-^**

 **Save me.**

Yata let out an abrupt cough to cover the laugh that threatened to spill out if he didn't manage to regain his composure, he felt his phone vibrate again as the Blues in the room gave him funny looks.

 **From: Mikoto ^-^**

 **Idiot.**

Yata bit his lip, quickly sending out a message that made the Red King shake his head, though it went unnoticed by the Blues who were engaged in a conversation on who was free to go out on call and who wasn't, something the two members of the Red Clan could care less about. The skateboarder re-read his text message over again, finding the whole situation funny.

 **To: Mikoto ^-^**

 **Tell the Blue King to stop flirting with you before I lose my shit.**

Within a moments notice his phone was going off again.

 **From: Mikoto ^-^**

 **Wheel yourself over here and tell him, you're a grown man.**

That text was so very...Mikoto, of course he wouldn't say anything to Munakata, for some reason he seemed to respect the Blue King enough to allow him to get away with it, though it did severely tick Misaki off he didn't have _the balls_ to tell the older man to stop so he let it slide.

 **To: Mikoto ^-^**

 **Wait, I have an idea, aren't Kusanagi-san and the others coming up here at eight? Just text them and tell them to leave now, that way you have an excuse to stay.**

He glanced across the room, watching the Red King's eyes light up before he quickly typed out his reply.

 **From: Mikoto ^-^**

 **I forgot about that, shit, thanks for reminding me...and good idea.**

Misaki shook his head with a smile.

 **To: Mikoto ^-^**

 **Don't mention it. :) That's what I'm here for.**

"So Suoh, will you go with me?" The question the Blue King asked successfully snapped Yata and the Red King out of their own private conversation.

"Can't, my boys are coming up here right now to bring me a few things, considering the circumstances." Mikoto lied with a sigh, "go, I'll keep things in check here should someone unwanted make an appearance."

"I see, well that's a shame, I will be back as quickly as I can. Fushimi-kun you're in charge of Scepter4's actions until I get back, Ms. Awashima is getting some much needed rest. She hadn't slept in four days." Munakata exclaimed as he headed for the doorway, "Suoh should a fight or something break out I expect you to contain it."

"Ah," the Red King said dryly as he waved off the Blue King, who silently disappeared back into the hallway, beside him, Yata could sense Fushimi tense. "Want anything?"

"Coffee would be great," Yata answered with a smile, scratching the back of his head almost nervously though he tried not to dwell on it, "thanks."

"Saruhiko?"

"Coffee, black," he answered without looking up from his notepad, only stopping his work when he felt two pairs of eyes studying him, "please," he added in defeat.

"Don't mention it," Suoh grumbled as walked out of the door, phone in hand as if he was going to put Yata's emergency _Save Mikoto From the Blue King_ plan into action, which he probably was, he noted as he glanced back over his old friend's shoulder.

"Need any help?"

"No." Saruhiko looked annoyed, whether it was with the new situation or the codes he was working diligently on he didn't know, but he felt inclined to ask.

"Hey, Saru?"

"What?" The word was spat back at him though the other man made no indication of looking up at him.

"Do you want Mikoto-san to stay downstairs with everyone when they get here? I don't want you to get angry," Misaki paused, biting his lip gruffly in the process, "It's too early to argue and we were getting a lot done with just the two of us."

"He'll just do what he wants anyway, don't act like you're gonna be able to control that," Fushimi grumbled as he flipped to another page in the notebook. Yata frowned.

"Why do you have to do this?" He mumbled under his breath, readjusting himself in his wheelchair with a look of disdain. Saruhiko glanced over at him.

"Do what exactly? Not want to see you and him in the same vicinity as me? Is that really so hard for you to understand?"

"Maybe, I just don't understand you, Saruhiko."

Said man locked eyes with him, "let's just get to work, Misaki."

"You always did this to me, you always shut me out every time I vocalize that I want to understand you. Look, I know this doesn't change anything between us, we're gonna be enemies regardless but at the end of the day I'd at least like to have some part of our friendship back. I...I just don't understand why we can't be frenemies."

"Frenemies? Us? Don't make me laugh," Fushimi turned his attention back to the blank monitor on the screen, as his fingers met the keys the characters popped up in green text.

"So that's it, huh? You'd rather have us hate each others guts than at least try to come to a mutual understanding?" Yata stared down at his hands in disgust, wishing Mikoto would come back in the room and save him from the awkward conversation he had started. He asked Saruhiko that question but he found himself immediately regretting it.

"You sound just like your boyfriend."

"Maybe because he has a point," Yata shot back, gritting his teeth as he looked over at his companion, "you're impossibly difficult to deal with. Why do you hate me so much?"

"Because you annoy me."

"Oh how vague of you, is it because I let go of the dream we had to take over the world? Or is it because I made new friends, hoping you'd come along with us too? Or maybe it's because you're a possessive asshole who can't stand the idea of me not wanting to be possessed. I'm not a fucking doll." Yata felt his temper flare up despite him not wanting it too, the peace he had shared with his ex best friend was long since gone. When Munakata and Mikoto walked in reality had sunk back in, this wasn't the past, things were never going to be like they were before they so stupidly admitted to loving one another.

Yata regretted that more than anything. He loved Saruhiko back then, but if he had known what it would've done to their future he never would've said anything. Fushimi wasn't what he wanted nor was he what he needed, but some small part of him held onto the hope they could become friends again, like they were before things got complicated. He was beginning to understand why kids feared growing into adults, as you got older people changed and it wasn't always for the good. He felt he was a prime example of that, so was Saruhiko.

"I wish I never told you I loved you, it ruined everything." Yata confessed with a heavy heart, he dropped his eyes in time with his words, though he couldn't see the man next to him react he heard his fingers halt over the keyboard.

"I'm sorry you feel that way."

Misaki smiled sadly, staring at his hands until he heard the familiar sound of a chain jingling as a person in boots walked towards the office they were in. It was the only thing that filled the hole in his heart until the Red King stalked into the room, a tray of coffee in his hands as he headed towards the desk, offering Saruhiko his cup first before he sat Yata's down on the table. Their eyes met in a silent understanding, one that made tears spring to the corner of his eyes and a frown pull on the older man's lips.

"Excuse me for a moment," Yata whispered as he pushed himself away from the table and towards the door, Mikoto watched him disappear out the door frame but Saruhiko only tensed up in his chair. Yata finally let out the labored breath he had been holding in as soon as he was out ear shot. He knew it was stupid, that it wasn't worth crying over, but he didn't know how else he was supposed to cope. Why things had to grow difficult and why he couldn't just blindly hate Fushimi was beyond him, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back, biting his lip so hard it drew blood.

 _I want to be at the bar and lay on the couch with Mikoto and listen to Tatara ramble about his day and see Anna running around the bar with a smile while Izumo scolds for being reckless. I don't want to be here anymore._

It was stupid and childish of him to think but everything else hurt too much and fogged his head, _I just want to get this over with. I just want to go home._

0o0o0o0o0o

 _Suoh Mikoto_

" _ **So, what did you need?" He began as he walked out onto the patio, lighting a cigarette as he leaned against the railing, eyes locking with the Blue King's as he shut the door behind them.**_

" _ **I just wanted to make sure we had a mutual understanding of our course of action, I know you don't plan to involve HOMRA as a whole in this until it's necessary, if it's necessary, and I figured Yata-kun would only worry if we talked about this in front of him." Reisi replied as he took long strides forward, grabbing a cigarette out of his coat pocket, which Suoh lit for him without much thought.**_

" _ **What about it?" Mikoto grumbled as he propped his elbows up on the railing, his cigarette hung from the corner of his mouth.**_

" _ **Are you prepared to fight civilians?"**_

" _ **Civilians? Anyone who actively participates in Jungle missions are not civilians," he scoffed at the suggestion, "I won't hurt them, but I will scare the living hell out of them until we get what we need and we can just leave it at that."**_

" _ **Are you prepared to launch an actual attack on the Green Clan should they choose not to back down?" Munakata shot him a wary look.**_

" _ **Even if they do back down I want to fight, they said some things about my Clan that can't go unpunished."**_

" _ **I figured you'd say something like that," Reisi smiled as he took a hit off of his cigarette, pointing it in Suoh's direction afterward. "So, how are you feeling?"**_

" _ **Fine, I want you to have someone check Yata out for me, though." The Red King plucked his own smoke from his lips, "he's been acting odd lately."**_

" _ **He's on a very high dosage of pain medicine, I don't think either of you realize how serious his wounds were." Munakata paused as he tilted his head to the side, "he did tell you that I asked him to be hospitalized, right?"**_

" _ **What?" Mikoto blinked a few times, hoping to God his ears had been deceiving him.**_ **Yata I'm gonna kick your ass.**

" _ **He declined, absolutely refused to go, after you dropped him off he woke up for long enough for me to ask then passed out again. I couldn't admit him against his will so we did our best with what we had and I called in a favor from our pharmacist to get him those pills."**_

" _ **How serious were his injuries?" Mikoto growled, hands clenching into fists,**_ **damn you Colorless King, I hope you're burning in hell.**

" _ **The wound on his back was practically bone deep, the lacerations on his side were about an inch deep and several inches long and the stab wound on his leg was within an inch of a major artery. He lost a lot of blood, he was lucky you got him to us when you did." Munakata frowned, "sorry I didn't mention this, I thought he would've told you."**_

" _ **Of course he wouldn't tell me," Mikoto grumbled under his breath, "he knows I'd send his ass straight to the hospital, whether he wanted to go or not."**_

" _ **I saw him riding his skateboard a week after that while I was out on a mission, I could hardly believed my eyes," Reisi paused when he felt the slightly older man glare at him, "I told him to go home and rest, whether he did or not I'm not sure."**_

" _ **He's stubborn," Suoh sighed, eyes closing as he felt his anger begin to slip away, "really stubborn."**_

" _ **He's you made over, I swear to it."**_

" _ **Ah."**_

" _ **Well now that I know that we're clear on the subject of Jungle I suppose we should go back inside and see what needs to be done."**_

" _ **Yeah, I'm just gonna take a nap." Suoh said with a smirk as he flicked his cigarette in the air, purposely sending enough of his Aura around it so it disintegrated.**_

" _ **Of course you are."**_

0o0o0o

"I don't know what your problem is but I'd appreciate it if you stopped dragging Yata into your issue with me," Mikoto glared as he shifted his position so he stood directly in front of his ex-clansmen. Saruhiko stopped working and met his gaze.

"I don't have a clue what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb with me," Mikoto threatened, eyes narrowing and taking on a deep red hue, something that made the younger man shift uncomfortably in his seat.

"What do you want me to say? It's not my fault he can't be quiet and mind his own business."

"I'm not going to argue with you, Saruhiko, but you are going to listen to me." Mikoto slammed his palms down on the table, successfully causing the smaller man to jump a foot back. "You are going to stop this or your problem with me is going to become a whole lot worse, am I making myself clear?"

Fushimi had the nerve to smirk.

"You don't scare me, I hope you know that."

"Oh?" Mikoto chuckled, removing his right hand from the table before he brought it to his chest, when he extended it again it was encased in a a cover of flames. Saruhiko stared at him with a blank, unchanging expression. "Then shake my hand again if you're not afraid of me."

"Your Aura courses through my body, it's not like anything is going to change if I do it," Fushimi stated blandly as he reached his hand out, his hand not quite touching the Red King's.

"Then prove it."

"Gladly."

Suoh watched him ease his hand closer to the fire, eyes narrowing in concentration though it was absolutely apparent that Fushimi was _bullshitting_ him, the small twitches in his facial muscles told him all he needed to know before the ex-Red Clansman's hand brushed the flames, to both of their surprise, the flames sizzled on his skin.

"Shit," Saruhiko hissed as he withdrew his hand, examining the tip of his finger that had been singed by the flames, his eyes quickly locked onto the King's.

"You know I've gotten a lot stronger over the last year, my Aura has grown and changed along with it, my clansmen are stronger now, a lot more powerful." Mikoto examined the younger man's face closely, "it's only natural that things between you and I changed too, this told me everything I needed to know."

"And what would that be?" Saruhiko spat, glaring at the older man as if he didn't have fear floating around in his eyes or a frown pulling on the corner's of his mouth.

"You were never worthy of shaking my hand," Suoh replied with a smirk, "let me ask you again, did I make myself clear, Fushimi Saruhiko?"

"Chrystal, now if you don't mind I have work to do."

The Red King nodded his head before he headed out of the room in search of Yata, it wasn't much but seeing the fear in his ex-clansman's eyes made him feel a bit better about breaking his promise to Misaki. _Why the hell did I leave him alone with that kid?_

"Mikoto-san?"

He lifted his head as he came to a break in the hallway where the corridor split into two, there was Yata, sitting by a window as he wiped his eyes, a small smile played on his lips but the older man saw the strain that was being put on it. He walked over to where he was sitting with long strides, closing the distance in four steps before he knelt down, coming down on eye level with the younger man who sniffled in response.

"I'm pathetic, I'm sorry I'm such a mess."

"Don't say that," Mikoto whispered, his thumb brushing away a stray tear that rolled down Misaki's left cheek, he brushed his hair away from his eyes simultaneously. "You're not pathetic."

"All I ever do is whine and complain," Yata murmured as his eyes closed, he leaned into the gentle touch that Suoh had on his cheek.

"Because you're sick and should be in the hospital, not out running amok, why didn't you tell me?"

"Why so you could add that to your list of worries? As if. I've been healing fine on my own," Yata concluded as he fidgeted in his wheelchair, "I'm getting stronger everyday, I just have to rest...like everyone said I needed to. I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Mikoto sighed, because what else could he really do? He wasn't about to get into with him when clearly that was the last thing the injured man needed.

"Izumo is on his way, when he gets here you and Tatara are going to a real doctor, I want you getting checked out and I want you on something that's actually going to help you get better, not just make you feel bad." Mikoto ran a hand through the brunette's hair, "that's not open for discussion."

"I know, it's an order, it's not like I'm going to ignore you as my King just because of how we are now. I'll go," Misaki let out a deep breath.

"It's not an order as your King, it's an order from someone who's worried about you," Suoh replied, "there's a couch down the hallway, we're going down there so you can get some rest."

"But I have to help with those codes an-"

"Forget it, I'm having a long talk with Munakata when he gets back, you're no longer a part of our deal. I'm not putting up with Fushimi's bullshit." Misaki looked up at him with a frown.

"Did you say something to him?"

"Of course I did, this is the second time in less than two weeks that's he had made you upset and the last thing you need is to be stressed out. If it wasn't for you I would've killed him already," the Red King scowled, "say the word and he's done for."

"We can't do that, but I don't want to see him again for awhile, that's for sure." Yata sighed, a sound nothing more than sickly sweet to the King's ears, "so about that nap?"

"C'mon," Suoh chuckled as he stood up, automatically walking to the back of the wheelchair as he pushed his boyfriend down the hallway towards said couch that was just past Munakata's office. As they passed the room a strange voice caught his ear, Misaki put a closed fist up so he stopped in his place.

"You're really asking for it, keep it up, please give me a reason to end you."

"I'm warning you, try that again and you'll be sorry, you don't know what I'm capable of."

There was a brief pause in which nothing but finger strokes over a keyboard could be heard, a few moments later the lights in the hallways shut off, as did everything else in the building, the Red King felt a strange feeling pit in his stomach. "Text Izumo and tell him to get here now, I want Tatara and Anna to come pick you up and you all can go to the doctor. He's to stay with me, no questions asked."

"O-okay," Misaki mumbled as he fished his phone out of his pocket, quickly typing out the message. His phone vibrated almost instantly. "He said they're in the front foyer trying to figure out what the hell is going on," his phone went off again, "now they're headed up the stairs considering the elevator isn't wor-"

"Shit, I'm gonna have to carry you downstairs, just tell them to wait there." Mikoto sighed as he peaked his head into the office of the Blue King, in the dark he could make out Fushimi's form, hunched over in his chair, something he shook his head at. "Let's go."

0o0o0o

"I have to stay here and figure out what's going on, make sure he gets some actual medical help," Mikoto exclaimed as he shut the passenger door after he made sure Yata was completely inside the silver Lexus his second in command owned. Tatara nodded his head and Anna offered him a small wave as they drove away from Scepter4's headquarters in route to the closest emergency room. Izumo was waiting in the front foyer for him when he got back inside the building, a scowl on his lips as the Red King and him began to go up the stairs.

"What the hell is going on here? Everyone's acting awfully panicked," the bartender noted as they turned to go up the second flight of stairs on the right hand side of the building, Suoh merely shrugged.

"I haven't got a clue, this isn't really any of our concern, I'm just here should something truly go awry."

"Where's Seri at?"

"Sleeping," the Red King answered in short as they finally made it back to the third floor, the lights flickered on as soon as their feet hit the threshold.

"And then there was light," Izumo laughed as he followed after the younger man, studying his surroundings with genuine interest.

"Saruhiko," Mikoto called as he stopped in front of a dark blue door with a padlock on the side of it, the Blue King's office was still dark. When he got no response he barged in, walking cautiously to the other side of the room until he stood in front of the desk where his ex-clansmen was collapsed halfway atop of the wood, "Wake up."

No response.

"Eh, Mikoto..." Izumo began as he approached the duo, "can I get some light?"

The Red King grunted, holding up his palm as he called upon his Aura, which provided enough light for them to be able to see their immediate surroundings, he felt his breath hitch as he gazed down at Saruhiko. "Shit, what the hell happened?"

There was blood dripping down from the side of his head and it was more than apparent at this point that he was out cold, Izumo pressed two fingers to the youngest man's neck, sighing in relief after a few moments of silence. "Well he's breathing, that's a relief."

"Yeah but who the hel-"

"My oh my, you are quite the unexpected guest," Mikoto's eyes burned in the darkness, the only light he could see was being emitted from a small projector on the center of the desk, with a bit of reluctance he hit the power button. An image of a bird came up before him, one he almost immediately recognized.

"Hisui Nagare, or should I say Green King," he saw Izumo's eyes widen as he stood back, away from the projector, "it's been awhile."

"So it has," the _bird_ laughed, "what on earth are you doing in line with the Blues? I have no business with you, Red King."

"Actually, we have business with you," he corrected as he nodded his head at Izumo, signaling for him to take Saruhiko and get out of the room in case things got ugly. The bartender did as instructed without a word of protest, Mikoto didn't speak until he was alone in the room. "Your clansmen have been making some pretty awful missions involving mine, got something to say about that?"

"I'm not responsible for what my clansmen do," Nagare insisted though the tone in his voice was beyond flat, "I do apologize, fighting you when we wish to take down the Blues is not in our best interest. Why don't you work with us on this? You hate them more than we do."

"Tempting as that is, think I'll pass, I don't play nice with others. If anyone takes down the Blues it will be me and mine," Mikoto smirked, "but I have a feeling you can respect that."

"Of course I can, Red King. We all wish to settle our own business and protect things that are important to us, I'm glad that one boy left before things had to get nasty. I didn't want to hurt him, really, he's someone precious to you, isn't he? That would be bad for relations."

Mikoto felt his blood run cold.

"What did you just say?"

"Oh Red King, you really do need to be more careful, you can't just share your personal information with everyone, you seem to underestimate how deeply the vines of the Jungle have sunk into Tokyo, dare I even say Japan." Nagare chuckled, "let me rephrase what I've said, please leave and let me deal with this. You are an unwanted party in this situation and I don't want to involve others in this ordeal. Can we come to an understanding?"

 _Son of a bitch._

"After you just threatened my clansmen? Not a chance, if you were smart you'd watch your tongue." Suoh seethed, eyes glowing deeply into the projector that he was somehow being watched from, he wished for nothing more than being able to jump into the digital screen in front of him and begin tearing the real life Hisui Nagare apart, _l_ _imb by limb_.

"Correction, I didn't threaten him, I said I was glad he left because I did not want to hurt him. Please listen more carefully, Red King." Mikoto rolled his eyes.

"There's not much of a difference, no matter how you try to word it."

"Whatever you say, now if you don't mind, I've got bigger fish to fry so I don't have time to entertain you," Nagare's voice sounded much darker than it had previously, Mikoto could practically feel him smile just through the words he spoke.

"What exactly are you planning, Nagare?"

"Not that it matters to you, but you might want to worry more about what's going on in the building at the moment and less on me." Hisui paused, "bye for now, Red King."

"Wait, Nagare..." but before he could even vocalize his question the projection was cut off. He cursed under his breath as he exited the room, spotting Izumo down the hall next to the couch he had been eager to lay on early in the night, instead Fushimi was laid out on the white leather cushions.

"So what happened?" The blond bartender asked as he spun around and made eye contact with his King, before the latter could even open his mouth to speak the floor beneath their feet shook violently, a loud blast that sounded much more like a sonic boom exploded throughout the corridor. "Damn, you don't think..."

Mikoto didn't even give him a chance to finish before he was walking down the hallway in search of the source of the noise, he turned back and looked over his shoulder at his second in command, who stood next to a large panel window with shock written all over his face.

"Take Fushimi and find Seri, get him somewhere remotely safe then text me when you and her are ready for a fight." He continued down the hallway, not stopping to hear whatever the blond had to say in response to his command. He felt a swell of anger boil inside him.

 _Of course they'd attack now, isn't this just convenient,_ he thought to himself as he stalked down the staircase on the opposite side of the hallway, heading in the direction of the front foyer, along the way he damned every member of Jungle to a fiery place in hell and Reisi Munakata to one as well, of course he just had to be out when this went down. That was just his luck.

"Over here!"

Mikoto froze in the foyer, eyes widening a bit in surprise as he stared at the wreckage of the smoldering room. Members of Scepter4 waved him over to where they stood, swords poised and ready for battle as they shielded themselves in case of a new barrage of attacks, the Red King approached what he presumed was the leader of the squad, a scowl deeply marred onto his face. "What's going on?"

"Our latest status report is that we have been infiltrated, a mass of people have gathered outside of the building, all claiming to be members of Jungle who are here on a mission to wipe us out. There's a large number of higher ranking clansmen, most U-ranks, but there are two N-ranks here as well. We believe their ultimate goal is to retrieve information on Mihashira Tower and the Dresden Slate. The Captain is twenty minutes out."

"I see," Suoh mumbled with a frown, "your third in command is out cold and your Lieutenant is still not here, I've sent one of mine to retrieve her, who's in charge at the moment?"

"That would be you, sir, Captain's orders."

Now that surprised the Third King.

"So he dumped this responsibility on me until Awashima shows?" He mumbled as he surveyed his surroundings, looking for any signs of Jungle in the building though he couldn't see any besides the wreckage they had already left in their wake.

"No, sir. He said to follow your orders until he gets back, he told us to put our faith in you and do whatever you say without question."

 _Shit. I don't come up with plans,_ he thought as he grit his teeth, wishing Izumo, his strategist, would come back already. "I'll deal with Jungle's clansmen, I don't care how many there are it shouldn't be a problem for me. I want you all to stay here and protect the building and everyone in it at all costs, secure the perimeter as best as you can and I'll work on taking them out."

"Sir, with all due respect there are so many clansmen that we would feel we were being useless should we not help in this fight," the leader of the unit squawked, clearly nervous at the thought of opposing the infamous Red King, much to his surprise the leader of HOMRA smiled and clasped a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about fighting, just keep everyone safe and sound til Munakata get's back, fighting is my specialty, I'm sure you know that."

"Sir."

Mikoto broke the contact as he walked towards the thick front doors, _if they're out there I might as well make a scene,_ he thought as his Aura activated, bursting the door into nothing but ash as he stepped outside, a large crowd had indeed gathered in the front yard but it was dead silent when he came to stand in front of the masses. The blues quickly filled in the gap left by the door, a blue barrier protecting themselves and the building from further harm.

"Holy shit, it's Suoh Mikoto! He's worth 100,000 Jungle points!" Someone in the front of the crowd screamed as he held up his phone for confirmation, a small round of cheers broke out but Suoh was click to silence them, his Aura ripped a line through the crowd, sending a good number of people flying backwards so he could clear himself a walkway to the back, where he presumed the higher ranking clansmen would be. An air of fear swept over the group of people as he stalked through their numbers, his Aura pulsated around him, flames licking the soles of his feet as he made his way to the center of the crowd, where he paused.

"If you want to escape unharmed I suggest you leave now," he growled loudly enough for everyone to hear, confusion broke out amongst the people but none turned to leave, "this is your one and only warning."

No one made a move.

"Suit yourself," he mumbled under his breath, the Red Aura at his feet flared, sending shock waves throughout the immediate vicinity as he cut through the crowds like a knife going through butter. He felt no remorse as he sent people flying through the air, they had asked for this, he had given them a chance to flee and they had been bold enough to defy it, it was only natural that they suffered the consequences because of it. His Sword of Damocles finally pierced through the sky, it looked almost new again, he thought. Minus the few cracks that littered the bottom half, the red dragon-like scales that had once wrapped around the hilt were back and the color of blood, the red gem in the center shone blindingly, rivaling the sun in heat.

"I thought he was running out of time," someone he pushed back mumbled, in awe that the Red King was in fact, better than ever, not on the verge of death.

"Shit, he's a monster! We're no match for him!" A man in a mask that looked almost like a motorcycle helmet screeched as he pulled himself to his feet, "everyone fall back!" Mikoto sighed.

"Is there anyone here that can at least provide me with a decent challenge? Don't tell me this is all you've got," he smirked, eyes searching the quickly evaporating crowd, if any of the higher ranking clansmen were around he did not see him. With a deep breath he continued his effortless work, pushing back the Green Clan until there was absolutely no one left in the vicinity. Hundreds of people had shown up and not a single on could even lay a finger on him, he was incredibly disappointed.

"Red King, we've secured the outer perimeter!" Mikoto turned back, eyes locking onto the leader of the unit he put in charge of defense which now had Seri and and Izumo in it as well, he bit his lip as he began to re-approach the building.

"That was too easy," he mumbled to himself, something still not sitting right with him as he made it to the bottom of the outer staircase.

"You were amazing, you were right about the combat, we would have only gotten in your way," the leader of the unit said, much to this dismay of Awashima who grit her teeth at the other person's words.

"Ah, Izu-"

"Mikoto, look out!"

Suoh whipped his head around his quickly as he could, expecting someone to be standing behind him but to his shock he felt someone's arms wrap around his feet, with wide eyes he glanced down at the person who had a hold on him.

"Got you now, Red King."

"Why you..." he hissed, immediately recognizing the woman at his feet as the same woman he had bought flowers from the day before, Nagare's words rang dully in his head. _Red King, you really do need to be more careful, you can't just share your personal information with everyone..._. He felt rage course inside him, draining every ounce of self control he had he let his Aura swell around him but by the time he did that the hands were gone, his guard didn't falter. "Where the hell did you g-?"

Instinct kicked in, the gasps he heard coming from Izumo and the others were an after thought as he twisted his body around just in time to see the woman appear in front of him, a knife coiled into her hand. She was fast, much faster than he could ever be but his Aura took over him, the very instinct that dictated whether fight or flight was necessary seemed to forget that fleeing was an option. He didn't see the chance to run, he saw the knife less than a foot away from his heart, saw her arms tilt up as she angled it at the organ that gave him life, there was no other person in his mind at that moment. Only one thought ran through his head, _it's you or her._

He let go, let his Aura act on it's own as it defended it's wielder with every bit of it's power, he didn't remember the flames wrapping around his hand nor did he remember throwing his fist forward but it had happened so quickly he hadn't had time to think about what was going on. It was inhumanely fast, it was faster than the eye could see, the only thing he felt was his hand rip through her chest, the only thing he could hear was the clutter of the knife on the pavement beneath them, everything else was silent.

When he locked his eyes with the woman's he saw the light behind them begin to fade, blood seeped out of the corners of her mouth as her body twitched, his arm was still buried into her ribcage, refusing to move. "You...ba-bastard..." she croaked but the words were so quiet that they sounded fainter than a whisper, he felt his Aura retreat as he desperately kicked outward, her body flying back several feet as his hand sprung free from her chest, he didn't need to see the aftermath. All he could do was stare down at his blood stained hand, but even the blood began to peel off and disintegrate, his Aura tried to sooth him.

 _It's okay, you did what you had to do_ it practically called to him, but the shock of what he had just done refused to fade away, even when all the blood was gone and the life force left the woman's body he didn't stop staring down at his hand, eyes wide in realization and horror. _I just killed someone._

Mikoto was a lot of things, but a murderer had never been one of them. He enjoyed violence, he lived for it at times, conflict had always been the one thing that gave him solace but this...this was something he never wanted to do.

"Mikoto?" He shook his head, hand coming up to clutch the right side of his face as he stared at his Sword of Damocles, his eyes widened even further when he noticed one of the cracks in the bottom had become larger, though it still looked a thousand times better than it had he knew what that crack meant, that crack was another _burden_. "Mikoto?"

He looked around at his surroundings, noticing the way pillars and fountains lay crumbled around him, his very own path of destruction, it was then that it dawned on him. _I've seen this before,_ he thought to himself, shaking his head to try and pinpoint where exactly this image had come to him. _This was in that dream I had, this was in Anna's vision,_ he paled at the thought, thinking of what came next in the sequence. It had been Tatara's death, _prevented that_ , then it was what he had just done, _wish I could've stopped this_ , and next had been... _Anna._ Her words rung in his head, " _Mikoto, don't go! Please!"_ His already widened eyes shook in realization.

 _Shit._

Though he was in no immediate danger he knew what that meant, this new burden he had taken on would not just be another crack in his Sword of Damocles, though he didn't know what significance it would have on his life now that he wasn't in bad health, now that his Sword of Damocles was looking good again. He balled the hand that wasn't clutched to his face into a fist.

"Mikoto?"

Someone was calling for him but he didn't have the capacity to register it, it sounded like nothing more than a faint call carried by the wind to him. It wasn't until something warm came over him that he managed to snap himself out of his revere, Izumo was holding him to his chest, a hand on his back and another wrapped around his wrist as he tried to pull the Red King's hand away from his face, Mikoto reluctantly dropped it, blinking several times to continue to clear his head. "I..."

"You didn't have a choice, Mikoto. You're okay, just calm down."

 _Calm down?_ He shook his head at the thought, even his Aura was pleading with him to stop, but he felt so tense that the only thing he could do was stand like a statue in his best friend's arms. "He's in shock, we need to get him medical attention." Someone else mumbled and for a moment it sounded like Reisi's voice but Suoh refused to check, "no, I'm taking him to see the others, we're free to go, yes?"

"Yes, thanks for the help, we will clean up here. Please make arrangements to come back here as soon as things have settled," Suoh blinked, that was definitely Munakata but there was a strange tone in his voice, one that sounded like he was actually worried.

"C'mon Mikoto, we're gonna go see Yata, okay? They've admitted him to the hospital, Tatara texted me when I went off looking for Seri," Izumo led him down the broken apart walkway slowly, uneasy steps were the only thing Mikoto felt capable of doing, his Aura retreated from him, his Sword of Damocles disappeared into the sky with nothing but a snowfall of red crystals left in it's wake. "You want to go see him, right?"

 _More than anything,_ he wanted to say but instead he just nodded his head, eyes refusing to return to a normal glance, _shock, you're just in shock,_ he tried to tell himself but even he found it hard to believe.

"Anna's there too, I'm sure you have her really worried right now."

 _Anna, do you feel this too?_

"C'mon Mikoto, let's go, okay?" Izumo smiled as they finally got to the van he had used to get to the Blue's headquarters, it took everything the Red King had to just nod his head as he allowed his best friend to help him into their clan's vehicle.

"Izumo..." he croaked out as the blond hopped into the driver's seat, he looked over at the Red King with a reassuring look, "don't worry, everything's gonna be okay. _It'll all work out in the end,_ right?" Tatara's words stung the fresh wounds in his heart. He finally managed to close his eyes.

"Ah."

 _But what if everything doesn't work out the way we want it too?_ He thought as he leaned back into the passenger's seat, his body shook no matter how hard he tried to will it away. _Is my death...unpreventable?_

Mikoto wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer to that question.


	10. Karma

Reisi Munakata

"Sir, the rest of Jungle's high ranking clansmen have fled the vicinity, our borders are secure again. Our system has also been returned to us but our personal files are corrupt, information regarding our clansmen have been stolen as well as our medical files." Seri Awashima sat a large stack of papers down on the Blue King's desk, "workers are already working to repair the front of the building and expect that to be complete in two weeks time, our front doors have been replaced already and the landscapers say it will take a few months to repair the Red King's handiwork."

"And Fushimi-kun?"

"Sir?"

"You've expressed in great detail the plans for our buildings status to be returned to normal but you've not once mentioned the status of your fellow clansmen, please do not devalue his life."

"Sir, with all due respect our priorities are the building and our security," Seri bowed apologetically when Reisi gave her a stare.

"Both of which are pointless if we have no people to protect, Ms. Awashima. How is he?"

"He's in the medical ward now, he's regained consciousness and has no memory of the ordeal. He's since fallen asleep, claiming he was too exhausted to stay awake. His condition is deemed stable by the head doctor, no signs of hemorrhaging were found in his brain and it believed he just has a minor concussion, the doctors are keeping an eye on him." Seri stood up straight again, "Captain please get some rest."

"What happened with Suoh?"

The blond woman tensed up. "What do you mean, sir?"

"When I arrived he was clearly traumatized, what happened before that? I assumed he killed that woman but that of course was an assumption."

"Sir, he did kill that woman," Seri stated with a shrug of her shoulders, "if it had been anything but necessary then I would've arrested him on the spot, it was either his life or hers. I've never seen a King look so vulnerable as he did in that moment."

"Clansmen of any clan are capable of killing a King," Munakata spoke as he stood up from his desk, clasping his hands behind his back as he approached the window in his office. "Jin Habari was an example of this, he was slain by his own clansmen when he had the start of a Damocles Down. Most of the time, like with what you witnessed today, a King's Aura will take over their body until the threat has been illuminated, thus making it nearly impossible for anyone to kill a King, we are only a threat to ourselves most of the time. Jin Habari had to will himself to be killed, but the price was high, as you already know."

"Sir, that is why you took that clansmen in, or so I presume."

"Ms. Awashima that is not the case at all," Reisi looked over his shoulder, "if I should ever lose control and have a Damocles Down it will be up to you to kill me." The woman paled.

"Sir, I would never be able to do such a thing."

"You would be able to if you had no other choice, you'd be amazed at what we are capable of when we are backed into a corner." Munakata turned and leaned against the window frame, "so this woman was about to kill Suoh and he attacked her to save himself?"

"That is what is written in my report, the police have been notified of what occurred and are willing to cooperate with us on this matter, they have taken her body to the coroner just for show and the sake of a death record."

"Her family?"

"They will be notified at once, but sir there is something that you should know," Seri paused, biting her lip as she cast her eyes towards the floor. "She was the cousin of Fushimi, apparently back in their school days they were very close."

"Well that is a shame, but I suppose they were no longer close knit if she was working with Jungle," Munakata strode forward, "thank you Ms. Awashima, I will be the one to notify Fushimi-kun."

"Sir."

Munakata walked at a leisurely pace down the long corridor towards the elevator, wondering what his best course of action would be from there.

How do you tell someone that a member of their family is dead?

0o0o0o

Fushimi Saruhiko

"Fushimi-kun, wake up."

He stirred, eyes gradually opening to adjust to the bright lights that hung from the ceiling above, his head swam, white dots clouding his vision. When he closed his eyes to will it away he saw nothing but rays of colors where the white dots had been, and when he opened his eyes again he saw the Blue King sitting next to him. He looked worried, something that never sat well with Fushimi, but he bit his tongue to stop himself from bringing it up. The Captain grabbed the bedside remote, shifting the mattress so his third in command was sitting up. From this angle, the Blue King looked even more worried.

"I have some news," the older man stated, a hint of the worry that was written on his face seeped into his voice, "I'm not sure how you're gonna take it."

"What happened?" Saruhiko shifted in his spot, racking his head for what could have possibly happened once he blacked out. He wasn't being told anything, other than that he was stable and should only concern himself with his health, so basically everything he didn't want to hear.

"Your cousin, Aya Oogai..."

"What about her?" Fushimi mumbled, his hands falling into his lap in his way of crossing his arms, not being able to do so properly due to the IV that hung from his arm.

"She worked for Jungle, yes?"

"Yeah, she did."

"Fushimi...there was an attack on Scepter4 while you were unconscious," Saruhiko's eyes grew wide as he stared into his King's eyes, "your cousin is one of the many who instigated it."

"That doesn't surprise me," he mumbled, ignoring the burning desire to know why the Captain asked him about his second cousin he pressed the other subject at hand, "so they launched an actual attack, huh? What's the damage like?"

"That isn't the bad news," Munakata sighed, leaning in towards the bed he grabbed the younger man's clasped hands, something that made him tense in shock. "Saruhiko..." the use of his first name shocked him but not as much as what was said afterward. "I'm sorry but your cousin was killed during the incident."

"She...w-what?" Fushimi refused to believe it, Aya was smart, so much so that she was annoying. When he and Yata had been friends she had proved that much, helping them with some of their missions and even helping them do a few from Jungle as well. He had never expected her to get so involved with the Green Clan but when he had the chance to join HOMRA it became apparent how serious she was about joining Jungle. They became enemies that day. They hadn't talked since.

"I'm sorry."

Saruhiko shook his head, remembering the boisterously loud girl that was his cousin as he let the words his Captain said sink in. She's dead...the only person I had that was remotely close to being my family is dead...and she died...thinking I hated her guts. "Are...are you sure it was her?"

"Yes, I really am sorry, Fushimi-kun. I know your family situation has always been rough and I know this must come as a loss to you, despite how you two felt at the time of her passing. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you." The Blue King squeezed his hands, a small gesture but it was enough to keep Saruhiko grounded to reality.

"T-thank you..." he spluttered out, his head bowing down as he stared at their hands, "how did she die?"

"I think it would be for the best if you didn't know those details."

"I want to know," he insisted as he grabbed the larger hand that rested against his, he studied it, looking for imperfections or scars but there were none that he could find. It was something to keep his mind off of the subject at hand.

"She caught one of ours off guard and nearly killed them so they used lethal force to prevent that." Saruhiko detected the change of tone in the Captain's voice, he's hiding something he thought as he tightened his grip on the Blue King's hand. Maybe it's best if I didn't know every detail of that, though. I'd only torture myself with it, he sighed, guess I'll accept that for what it is, though it's unlike him to protect someone else's feelings.

"I see."

"Is there anything else I can do for you, Fushimi-kun?"

"Actually there is," Saruhiko answered with a click of his tongue, "would you mind if I vented to you?"

"Vented to me?" Munakata asked with a small chuckle, "I wouldn't mind that at all, it prevents me from going back to work and I will take this as a large compliment, you have never wanted to engage in a personal conversation with me before."

Fushimi let out a small laugh, it was just like the Captain to crack jokes at a time like this. He always did when he was tired or stressed, he had noticed over the last year. He didn't really feel like talking if he was honest with himself but he also didn't feel like being alone at the moment either. In truth, he wanted to call Yata and tell him what had happened but that would be a terrible mistake, he knew. He couldn't afford to be bi-polar when it came to him, he had to stand his ground.

The other part of him wanted to cry, though he hadn't the slightest idea why it hurt so badly to hear that the last remaining person he had considered family had finally succumbed to fate. It was ironic, he thought, that bastards like his dad got to live for thirty some odd years and people like Aya, as annoying and naïve as she was, had to die so people like him could learn a lesson about life and death. Munakata's hand was his only anchor to reality as he opened his mouth to speak, desperate for someone, anyone, to hear what he had to say and tell him what he needed to hear.

Am I such a bad person that this is what I deserve?

0o0o0o

Yata Misaki

"Ugh I hate this," he whined as he sat up in his hospital bed, ignoring the sideways glance his nurse gave him he locked eyes with Tatara, who sat on a small couch to his right, Anna was happily perched in his lap. "I don't understand why I have to stay here."

"Yata-san this is for your health," the nurse added as she approached him with a needle in her hand, he sighed in relief when she stuck it in the line going to his IV. "Your wounds are slightly infected so we will be administering a drip of antibiotics, we will have to restitch the wound on your back as soon as the swelling goes down, the ones on your side are fine. Your leg will also have to be drained around that stab wound." She paused, crossing her arms in the process, "are you sure you don't want to call the police? The men who jumped you need to be brought to justice."

"It's okay, they've already been dealt with," he mumbled under his breath, "how long do I have to stay here?"

"I can't say anything for certain, once the doctor is able to fix up your wounds he will be able to give you an accurate time frame should everything go according to plan. I'd say two days at least, a week or two at most. We just need to keep an eye on that infection, we caught it early so hopefully these antibiotics will prevent it from spreading or worsening."

"Up to two weeks?" Yata gasped, suddenly regretting his decision to not go to the hospital in the first place, "I think I'll take the two days and be done with this."

"Not if you know what's good for you," Totsuka interrupted with a laugh, "King will drag you back here if you leave before you're able."

"King?" The nurse raised an eyebrow.

"That's Yata's boyfriend, he's a scary fellow when he's unhappy," the cameraman laughed, "he's kind of scary in general, but don't let him intimidate you, he's really a great guy. I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot of him."

"I see," the nurse chuckled, "thanks for the tip. Now Yata-san, you are to rest, no leaving the bed unless it's to go to the bathroom, if you need anything else feel free to call down to the nurses station, okay?"

"Okay," Misaki sighed as he watched the older woman walk out of the room, closing the door behind her. "I wonder what's going on back at Scepter4."

"Who knows, that situation was beyond shady," Tatara laughed as he looked down at Anna, "do you happen to know anything, Princess?"

"No, will Mikoto be here soon?" She looked optimistic, something that made Yata come to the realization that the Red King had unknowingly been spending less time with Anna in favor of spending time with him, he made a mental note to let the young girl tag along with them when they went out or watched movies in bed. He didn't want HOMRA's Princess to feel like she wasn't welcome around himself and the King.

"I'm afraid not, Anna," Misaki answered with a small frown, "he's really busy and unless they get things in order there I don't think he'll be here any time soon."

"You sound disappointed," Tatara noted as he sat Anna down on the ground, the young girl instantly ran over to Yata as if she was silently asking to sit beside him.

"You want up here?" He asked with a small smile, offering the white haired girl a hand when she nodded her head vigorously. She laid down in the space between Yata and the bumper on the bed. "Of course I'm disappointed, I don't want to sit here for however long and not be able to see him."

"You're so in love," Totsuka laughed as he stood up from the couch, stretching out his back before he walked across the room and grabbed his backpack, pulling out his camera, "can I film you?"

"Right now? I look like crap," Yata huffed as he glanced down at Anna, who was practically already asleep, "fine. I guess."

"Awesome, Chitose and the others are coming by to see you later, how does that make you feel?"

An interview? Really?

"I don't know?" Yata offered with a shrug, "they better bring me food. Hospital food sucks," he laughed as he glanced over at a small tray that sat on his bedside table, the unappatizing food on it made his stomach do flips.

"Food, that can probably be arranged," Totsuka laughed as he walked closer to the hospitalized man, "your hair has gotten so long, Yata."

"I know I know, I need to get it cut," he blushed in response, looking down at his hands to ignore the prying stare that was being given to him.

"I didn't mean that in a bad way, it's just been a few years since I've seen it that long! You look dashing, I bet King likes it that way!"

"My hair grows fast, and shut up!" Yata groaned as he flung a pillow he wasn't using in the cameraman's direction though the older man dodged it with ease. Beside him Anna stirred, eyes narrowing a bit as she woke up from her extremely short nap, he scratched the back of his head nervously. "Sorry Anna, I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's not you," she mumbled as she sat up, running a hand over her hair to smooth it back into place, she reached into a pocket on the coat Mikoto had gotten her and pulled out one of her marbles. "Something's happening."

"Huh? What's going on?" Yata asked as he leaned over her shoulder, eyes focusing on the small object that was in her hands, after a moment of silence something rather unexpected happened, causing everyone in the room to jump out of surprise. The marble shattered into a thousand different pieces.

"Anna, is everyone okay?" Tatara inquired as he sat his camera down and approached the young girl, putting his hands on her shoulders as he looked her in the eyes, she blinked a few times before answering.

"It's Mikoto..."

"Anna, is he okay?" Misaki mumbled as his eyes grew wide, please say yes, please say yes, please say yes.

"He's..." she paused, looking troubled as if she couldn't come up with the right words she wanted to convey. "He's going to be okay...but he isn't okay now."

"What do you mean?" Yata exclaimed, his body shaking as fear crept into the cracks in his mind, "what happened to him?"

"Yata, calm down, let her talk..." Tatara pleaded as he stretched out his arm and took one of Yata's hands in his own, "do you know anything else, Princess?"

"There's a new crack in his Sword of Damocles," she mumbled sadly, eyes downcast at the fragments of the marble that littered the white paper thin sheets, "whatever happened it was too much for him to bare."

"Dammit, I should have stayed there with him..." Misaki groaned with a scowl, "Tatara, where's my phone?"

"Give it a bit Yata, Izumo is with him so I'm sure he'll be just fine, he will keep us updated." Tatara offered a small smile as he sat down on the edge of the bed, "I will text him and ask him what's going on, okay?"

"Tch," he mumbled under his breath, knowing that the older man was right, calling Mikoto now would be as useless, if Anna's vision was correct, which he knew it was, then the Red King had bigger issues to deal with than answering his phone. Anna laid her head on his arm, a small gesture but one that didn't go unappreciated. He swallowed his own worry and fear and put on a brave face as he glanced down at Anna, "he's going to be okay, he always is."

She looked at him, the red color of her eyes seemed dimmer somehow, "I hope so."

"He's a tough guy, he's gonna come back from this," Yata promised, not sure if he was trying to convince Anna or if he was trying to convince himself. "He always comes back, doesn't he?"

She nodded her head slowly, "but this cannot keep up forever."

"Anna don't think so negatively, Mikoto-san knows his limits now," Misaki frowned at the words that came out of his mouth, he knew they weren't exactly true. He doubted the Red King would ever realize when enough was enough, though he didn't know the circumstances involving the newly formed crack in his Sword of Damocles he could only hope it wasn't the result of him getting carried away. He wondered if his King's recklessness was something that he could try to help him fix, but then again he didn't think Mikoto wanted that to be changed.

"I wish he would renounce his throne," Anna whispered quietly, the atmosphere grew silent, the only noise that could be heard was the beeping of the machines Yata was hooked up to. He shared a concerned glance with Tatara.

"Why would you want that, Princess?" Totsuka asked with a sad smile, eyes meeting the young girl's as he locked his cell phone, "don't tell me you worry about him that much."

"Too much," she corrected, "I get lots of visions about the things he does, he pushes himself too hard."

"Well, why don't you tell him that you feel that way?" Yata inquired as he relaxed back into the bed, Anna moved along with him, laying down beside him. "Maybe if you asked him to stop exerting himself he would, you mean the world to him."

"So do you, why don't you tell him too?" She asked as she brushed a stray hair out of her eyes, seeming to relax more and more with every reassuring word he and Tatara said.

"Why don't we tell him together? He can't say no to the both of us then, can he?" Yata chuckled as he picked at the IV in his arm, the new medicines that were being coursed throughout his body were doing wonders for his mood. He didn't feel the need to cry at the drop of a hat anymore so he saw that as immediate progress, the doctors had been shocked at what he had said he was taking. Claiming that a dosage that high of that particular medicine was unheard of, which left Misaki with a few questions to ask the Blues when he got the chance.

"Okay," Anna answered with a small smile, something that practically made the skateboarder sigh in relief though he bit his tongue to keep from doing so.

"Izumo said they're on their way here, Mikoto is apparently in shock and he doesn't think a doctor is what he needs right now," Tatara replied with a heavy sigh, "they should be here in a few minutes, they've already left."

They sat in silence as they waited for their King and strategist to arrive, Anna's eyes were closed though it was apparent that she wasn't asleep, Yata stared at the ceiling with a look of nervousness written all over his face, and Tatara held his spot on the end of the bed, as if he was too concerned to even leave the two younger people alone on the small hospital bed. After ten minutes passed by the door creaked open, earning the attention of everyone in the room as Izumo walked in the door, dragging, quite literally, a very out of it looking Suoh Mikoto.

"Mikoto!" Anna cried out, hopping out of the bed in record timing as she pushed past the bartender and flung herself onto the Red King's legs. He didn't so much as flinch as he scooped her up in his arms, hugging her close as he closed his eyes, he whispered something to her but it was inaudible from where the rest of HOMRA's core members were seated. Izumo ruffled Tatara's hair before having a seat on the couch, shooting Yata a knowing glance as the skateboarder returned his attention to his boyfriend.

"Anna," the Red King breathed out, still making no indication that he wanted to put her down, it was then that Yata noticed the look of pure distress that hung around in the corner's of Mikoto's gold colored eyes.

"Misaki and I need to have a talk with you," the girl exclaimed as she finally let go of the King, who gently placed her back on the ground. Suoh knelled down so he was on eye level with her.

"Can it wait a few minutes? I really need to talk to Yata," there's the Mikoto we know Misaki thought as a small spark of life seemed to reignite in the King's eyes. Whatever it was that had plagued him before he came into the building was beginning to wear off, it was obvious to everyone, the tension in the room lifted, if only a little. He didn't know what it was but the only thing that ever seemed to calm Mikoto down was the company of his clansmen, nothing more, nothing less.

"Yeah, c'mon Anna, let's give them a minute." Izumo commented as he stood up from the couch, offering the young girl a hand to hold once he got over to her, she took it and allowed herself to be lead out of the room, though she did look back as they left.

"I"m glad you're okay, King," Tatara exclaimed as he too stood up, approaching the older man with a wary smile, "you had us worried."

"Sorry," Mikoto grumbled as he too ruffled the cameraman's hair, Totsuka laughed at the action before following after the other members of HOMRA. When they were alone Yata spoke.

"What happened?"

No answer.

"Mikoto, come lay down with me," he pleaded as he scooted over to make some room for the Red King. Without a word, Suoh did as instructed, climbing into the bed as he flipped on his side so they faced one another. "Please tell me what happened."

"I don't want to talk about it," Mikoto whispered, his right hand twitched at his side before he brought it up to his face and examined it, Yata reached out and took it with his own.

"This isn't something you can just brush off," he commented as he laced their fingers together, "please, Mikoto."

"Just...just come here," Suoh breathed out as he leaned in closer, dropping his hand from Yata's in favor of wrapping it around the other man's waist, he made sure to avoid the wounds that were there, like he usually did, he also made a mental note of all the wires that ran from his skin to the machines beside the bed. Yata hated the way the King's face fell.

"Please tell me."

He got nothing in response once again, but this time he felt something inside his stomach churn, something didn't feel quite right about the situation he was in. It wasn't until he felt the Red King's chest heave unexpectedly and his body begin to shake that he put the pieces together. His eyes automatically widened in shock. He managed to shake the hold on him enough so he could look up at the saddened face of his King, tears sprung into the corners of his eyes as watery golden orbs stared back into his own that reflected the color of amber.

"I..." Mikoto began but was cut off as a rather rough breath escaped his throat, Yata felt his heart sink at the sound.

"It's okay," he insisted as he reached out with his hand that wasn't caught up in wires, "just let it out." To his surprise, Mikoto took his words to heart. His face was buried in his King's chest again, and out of respect he didn't look up to catch the tears that fell soundly from his lover's eyes, he only reached up to wipe them away, knowing it was the least he could do in the moment. He hugged the man in his arms tighter, silently relaying the message the screamed I'm here, it's going to be okay.

He lost track of how long they laid there, but it took quite some time for the Red King to sort of regain his composure, it took even longer for him to allow himself to be seen. When he lifted his head the first thing he saw was the redness that surrounded the King's eyes and the still damp trails that ran down his face from where his tears had soaked the skin, it was a sight Yata never wanted to see again, it pained him in ways he didn't even know were possible. He felt his heart ache as the sight was seared into his memory.

"I killed someone," Mikoto confessed with a look of sheer disbelief, "I've never killed anyone before...Yata..." said man's eyes softened in realization.

"I'm sure you did what you had to do to keep yourself and other people safe, it's not your fault." He promised with a small smile, one that was so fake that he wondered why he even tried to act like he was staying strong.

"I never wanted to become this."

Yata bit his lip.

"Become what exactly?"

"A murderer," Mikoto answered in short, eyes downcast the entire time. A bitter laugh came from the older man's throat, "I feel like a monster"

"Don't say that!" Misaki announced with a pout, "Mikoto you're not a monster, if you killed this person out of self defense then you did the same thing anyone would have done," he paused as he thought his next words out carefully, "that makes you even more human. I would've done the same thing if my life was at risk."

"You keep saying that but how do you know I didn't just kill them for the hell of it? How do you know I was in danger?" Suoh hissed though the words lacked any real venom, the skateboarder brushed it aside.

"Because I know you, Mikoto. You're not what people say you are and I know you wouldn't do it unless you absolutely had too," his pout turned into a complete and utter frown, "but that's not why you're upset...is it?"

"No."

"Mikoto, what happened back there?"

"What would you do if I died?"

The question made something inside his mind break, tears poured from his eyes almost instantly as the question bounced back in forth in his head. Just thinking about it made him hurt with a pain that was too great to bare, let alone put it into words. The Red King frowned at him, the hand that was trained on the center of his back lifted, he closed his eyes when he felt the King's fingers wipe across his cheek.

"I would...I would be devastated," Yata mumbled as he leaned into the touch, his HOMRA tattoo stung on his chest. "I wouldn't want to live in a world where you didn't exist."

"But you'd be okay eventually, wouldn't you?" Suoh questioned with a heavy sigh, the question made anger boil in Yata's mind.

"No, I...dammit why do I even have to answer this?" He exclaimed, voice level rising as he swatted the King's hand away from his face, "I don't want to talk about this."

"If something ever happened to me I'd want you to move on."

"Stop," Misaki hissed as he closed his eyes, eyebrows knitted together in frustration. "I said I don't want to talk about it."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to live without you, how is that so hard for you to understand?" He shivered at the thought, life without Mikoto hadn't even been on his mind since the night of the incident at Ashinaka High School, back then the idea terrified him. Now it threatened to crush him. "Why do you want to talk about this?"

"Because...I think I'm dying."

Yata's eyes snapped open, "w-what?"

"I think I'm dying," Suoh replied with a grave look, the hand Yata slapped away hung in the air as if he was afraid to do anything else with it.

"Why would you think that? You're getting better," he whispered as he reached his hand up to cup the older man's cheek, "you're not dying."

The Red King didn't say anything.

"Do you know something I don't?"

Silence.

"Fine, don't tell me," he seethed, ripping his hand away from the warm skin of Mikoto's cheek, he turned on his other side away from him, careful not to get caught up in the wires that connected him to the hospital machines.

"Part of Anna's vision, the one I told you about...do you remember when I said that I was standing in a path of destruction and my Sword of Damocles was cracking?" Suoh's voice sounded void of all emotion, a tone that he had never heard before, a tone that sent chills straight to his spine.

"I do."

"That's what happened today, the part that came after...about Anna begging me not to go...that was next." Yata's eyes widened in realization.

"That was before you started to get better, who knows what will happen now. You've changed the past, technically, so what makes you think the future won't be different?"

"Maybe my death is inevitable, maybe preventing Tatara's death is the only thing I was meant to do before I met my fate," Suoh's robotic tone didn't waiver, "perhaps I was always meant to die, no matter what the outcome was."

"Renounce your throne," Yata spat, the words that had shocked him earlier in the day had become something even he was starting to want, "if you think it's unavoidable then stop being a King."

"Can't," Mikoto sighed as he shifted further onto the mattress, his arm slung over Yata's body in an attempt to close the distance the younger man had put between them, "I can't stand the thought of being a normal human."

"So you don't want people to think you're a monster but you don't want to be a human? And you don't want to die but you don't want to give up your throne?" Misaki scowled, what kind of logic is that?

"It made a lot more sense in my head before I vocalized it," Suoh grumbled under his breath, "you're mad at me."

"I'm a lot of things right now," Yata replied with a click of his tongue, "why won't you give up being a King?"

"I don't want to," the older man chuckled darkly.

"So you'd rather die than give up your power?"

No answer.

"You're weren't born a monster, Mikoto, but power is out to make you one. If you think your life would be over because you weren't a King then I'm sorry that everyone around you, including me, aren't enough to keep you satisfied."

He felt the Red King stiffen, "you think I'd choose power over you and everyone else?"

"I honestly don't know," Yata admitted with a frown, tears stung at his eyes, "I really don't."

"There's a reason I don't want to give up my throne," Suoh stated in a matter of fact tone, "there's only two people I feel would be capable of taking my place if I stepped down, both of which I don't want to experience what being a King is like."

"Let me guess, Izumo or Tatara?"

"No, you or Anna."

Yata turned his head to look over his shoulder, the Red King's eyes were trained on his, "you think it's Anna or me?"

"Ah," Mikoto answered as he bit his lip, "I'm afraid that I'm going to become unstable with the new crack in my Sword of Damocles, I don't want that to happen obviously, but I'm gonna have to go to Mihashira Tower and ask the Blues run tests on myself and the slate. I don't want either of you to become King should I have no other choice but to step down."

"Do you feel like you're going to lose control?"

"No, but it's something I have to be prepared for," Suoh frowned, "are you gonna continue to punish me for this? I came here because I wanted you and you won't even face me."

Yata blushed as he flopped back onto his other side, Mikoto helped him untangle the wires that came from his arms. "Sorry, please don't look at me like that."

That being the look of absolute despair that seemed to stick to the Red King's face, and please don't cry like that again, my heart can't take this.

"I hope you know it's never going to be easy dealing with me," Mikoto mumbled as he leaned in closer, his arm wrapping around the smaller man, drawing them closer together.

"I'm not exactly easy to deal with either," he laughed as he pressed his head against the older man's chest, "Mikoto...if you have to step down as King and it really is Anna or I who are destined to replace you...I hope you know that we'd both do it."

"I'd never put either of you in that situation."

"I can't speak for Anna necessarily but if it was me...I'd be okay," he let out a sigh of relief when his boyfriend wrapped his arms around him, "I'm not strong like you and I'm definitely not the type to be a leader, but if that's what fate has in store for me then I'd be willing to do whatever I could to make it work."

"Would you feel differently about me if I wasn't a King?" The words came out almost nervously, as if this was some sort of fear that Suoh would rather not admit to having, even his breath hitched in his throat when he asked the question.

"No, you'd still be Mikoto to me, and you'd still be the strongest man in Tokyo, King or no King."

"So power means nothing to you?"

"No, it doesn't. If you think I like you for your strength then you're wrong," Yata shifted in his arms so they were looking at one another, "so don't worry okay? Even if you can't remain a King I'm not going anywhere, I don't think anyone would leave HOMRA just because you weren't the King anymore."

"If Anna became the new King I don't think everyone would agree with what you said," Mikoto leaned his head back on the bed, "some of the guys joined me for power, nothing more, nothing less. I don't think they'd feel any loyalty to her if she became a King, they vowed loyalty to me, no one else. I don't think some of them would feel comfortable having a new King, even if it was you or Izumo or someone else in the clan."

"Mikoto you're worrying about something that might not even happen," Yata reminded him as he reached up and brushed the hair out of his eyes, "for now you're still our King, so let's just focus on the here and now and worry about everything else when it happens, if it happens. Ask the Blues tomorrow to check your Weismann levels and take a trip to go to the slate, but for now, rest. You've been awake for two days, minus that nap we took."

"You're right," Suoh yawned almost on instinct, "I'm sorry I worried you with this."

"Mikoto this is what I'm here for, you're supposed to tell me what's going on and how you're feeling, it's just part of being in a relationship with someone." Yata chuckled as he made himself comfortable, exhaustion finally catching up to him. "Never apologize for it."

"I'm sorry I...cried...I haven't willingly done that for over five years," the older man mumbled as he closed his eyes, his hand rubbed up and down Yata's arm soothingly.

"I bet that was a huge relief for you then, crying doesn't make you a weak person...if anything I think it makes you stronger. It takes a lot to accept your emotions after you've pushed them away for so long," he whispered back as he let his eyes close, "I cry too much, that's what I get for wearing my heart on my sleeve."

"If you didn't then you wouldn't be you," Mikoto whispered as he pressed his forehead to Yata's both of them were so obviously fighting to stay awake.

"Mhm," was all he managed to get out before he drifted off to sleep, the days events finally catching up to him, the Red King fell asleep less than a minute after.

0o0o0o0o

Hisui Nagare

"We have all the information we need and we have eye witness reports about what happened at the Blue's headquarters, there was one casualty and several injuries," a higher ranking clansmen that hid behind a mask exclaimed as he approached him, "what will you do from here?"

"It's pretty obvious that the Blues are going to be a bit more trouble than we thought they would be," Nagare sighed as he clasped his hands together, "involving the Red Clan is the last thing we wanted to happen."

"Sir, why did you allow this mission to go on knowing the Red Monster was there?" Another clansmen asked as he approached the Green King.

"I needed to get power readings of him, we have information on the Blue King thanks to my hacking their system but we knew nothing of the Red King's abilities, he operates in the underground world, it's hard to figure out where he will be fighting from one day to the next." Hisui commented as he looked up at his clansmen. "For now we will give them a break, this time will allow us to regroup and I will send a few N-Rank clansmen out on scouting duty, but we are not to engage until the time is right."

"And for the Red Clan?"

"Simple, we will avoid them at all costs, we cannot possibly hope to take down both clans at the same time, that would be ludicrous. Suoh Mikoto, the Red King, was able to take down a swarm of over 200 clansmen without even lifting a finger, he is by far our biggest opponent, the Blue King is just in the way at the time and needs to be put down." Nagare sighed deeply, "Let's sit back and let these two duke it out for a bit longer, if we're lucky we can stir the pot a bit and get the Blue and Red Kings to turn on one another.

If that much can be accomplished then we might just be able to take both of them down in one fell swoop, I severely underestimated them, it has been a long time since I crossed paths with the Red King and I seem to have forgotten the extent of his battle prowess," Nagare clicked his tongue, "I take the blame for that."

"The Red King slayed one of our U-Rank Clansmen, Aya Oogai, will you over look this?" The clansmen that asked this seemed to be troubled at the thought, something that annoyed him to no end.

"She was a fool who thought she could take on a King, she died as a result, she is nothing but a spoil of war. The Red King is not to be bothered with that, Ms. Oogai should have canceled her mission the moment the team she put together fell victim to the Red Aura. Instead she saw her mission to the end, the end being her demise. We do not need such brash people in the hierarchy, I had pegged her as an intelligent girl but this is what happens when people crave power." Nagare smiled as he turned to his clansmen, "but you have a problem with my analysis, don't you?"

"N-no, s-sir!"

"Good. There is a strict difference between the app that is Jungle and the actual clan, these peons who log on and gain a smidgen of power are not my concern, I only affiliate myself with those of you who gain the highest ranking, like you, J-Rank." The man in question stiffened, "this system is nothing more than a game to keep me occupied, should people climb to the top then I will gladly meet with them, should they fall...well...that's a pity."

"Sir."

"Over the next six months we will keep a very watchful eye on the Blue Clan and we will attempt to start a war between them and the Red Clan, after that is initiated we will see how we can best take them down. Anymore questions?"

"No, sir."

"Good," Nagare smirked as he watched his clansmen walk out for the room, leaving him alone in the darkness with nothing but his projector and laptop, pulled up to the Red King's stats. "This should be fun."

 **-Christmas Eve-**

"Yata, you managed to get back in time for Christmas!" Izumo exclaimed from behind the bar as everyone in the room averted their attention to where the Skateboarder and Mikoto stood in the doorway, "Mikoto how much convincing did that take on your part?"

The Red King glared at him in response, causing him to laugh awkwardly, muttering a "sorry" under his breath.

"Mikoto-san didn't have to do anything, the doctor said I was in the clear and sent me packing," Yata announced with a brilliant smile as he dropped hold of Suoh's hand, walking over to the bar so he could take a seat between Kamamoto and Chitose. "It's good to be back, I was getting sick and tired of that place."

"You and I both," he mumbled under his breath as he took the cigarettes from his pocket and got one for himself, lighting it a moment later. HOMRA had come alive in time for the holidays, mountains of gifts were stacked under the tree and the decorations they had put out were now covered in Christmas lights, probably Anna's doing.

Things had seemingly calmed down over the last week and a half. His levels checked out as normal, Munakata hadn't reported any more suspicious activity, Yata was free to leave the hospital, and everything was beginning to feel normal again. It was the one thing Mikoto had wanted for Christmas and he felt more than happy to have it, presents be damned, he just wanted peace of mind for once in the last month and a half. He was more than relieved when he heard the specialty team at Scepter4 emphasize that he was not dying, that had been literal music to his ears.

He'd have to remind himself not be a drama queen in the future, but a new burden was always a trying time for a King. The other three he had received all took an emotional toll on him as well, it was more his Aura weeping than him, any King who had gone through that would likely say the same thing. He shuddered at the thought, he was gonna try his best to never crack his Sword of Damocles again, he doubted he could handle it, emotionally nor physically.

30.

His Weismann level had been a thirty.

The shock from that realization had still not wore off, he found it strange that after having an emotional breakdown that he was in the best shape of his life. Yata had suggested that maybe keeping things pent up had a bad effect on his health and after hearing that he was beginning to think that he was right.

He took up his usual seat on the black leather couch on the left side of the bar, Tatara and Anna preoccupied the other spaces so instead of sprawling out like he wanted to he settled for tucking himself on the far hand side of the couch next to the Christmas tree. He had done nearly all of his shopping online from Yata's hospital room, it was too convenient not too, hell they even had a gift wrap option he thought as he stared at the pristine presents he had gotten for everyone in his clan.

He had received a job offer from a group of Yakuza a week prior to take down a rival gang, and seeing as he was trying to get back into the swing of things he accepted. The job had been easy and the pay had been ridiculously good, overall he had no complaints.. He usually didn't want to work for other people but it was the holidays after all, and he couldn't exactly rely on Izumo to pay for absolutely everything. It was a miracle the bartender already paid for his other expenses, he didn't want to push his luck.

During the time Yata had been hospitalized he had sold his apartment, getting enough money back on his investment that he managed to do the same thing Mikoto did. All of his personal belongings had been moved by Kamamoto and Izumo and were currently sitting in the bedroom that he and Misaki had been sharing here, he was yet to even think about selling his own place, he hadn't even had a chance to bring it up to Anna.

Yata had been a bit upset about not being able to see his apartment one last time before he got rid of it but the fact he had an offer on it within two days of listing it had been too great for him to pass up, it was thanks to Tatara's current photography obsession that he sold it in the first place. He had been the one to clean it, arrange it, photograph it, and list it all while Yata was laid up in his hospital bed. In exchange, the skateboard gave him a cut of the profit he made.

Mikoto hated to use the word cute to describe things but that was exactly what Yata's reaction was to seeing the funds pop up in his bank account.

"So Mikoto, Anna had a pretty good idea a minute ago and we're all fine with it, seeing as everyone's here, but what do you think about us opening our presents tonight then staying up for the remainder of the evening to watch corny Christmas movies? Hell, I'll cook us all breakfast at sunrise. Then we can pass out for the day, maybe have a party or something tomorrow night." Izumo chuckled as he sat down a clean glass on the counter, pouring Fireball Whiskey in it before he asked Shouhei to bring it to him, he took it with a nod of appreciation.

"None of you plan on seeing your families?" Mikoto asked as he took a sip from the glass, reveling in the slight burn that riddled his throat as it went down.

"We went and saw them yesterday for the most part, we told them we had plans and had an early Christmas, we all wanted to be here instead." Fujishima remarked as he stuck his hands in his pockets, "holidays aren't the same if we don't spend 'em here."

"You got that right," Bandou added as he took a drink of whatever was in his glass, "plus, booze makes the holidays even better."

"You go that right," Chitose laughed as he reached up to ruffle Yata's hair, "turn twenty already so you can drink with us."

"Or maybe Kusanagi-san can just give me booze and stop trying to act like he cares about legal matters," the skateboarder laughed as the blond bartender threatened him with bodily harm, actually saying, don't make me send you back to the hospital, Yata.

"I think it's a good idea," Suoh answered, almost forgetting he had been asked a question as he got swept up in the conversations going on around the room, Anna leaned onto his arm, eyes gleaming as he agreed to her plan.

"Then it's settled, Anna since it was your idea do you want to open your presents first?" Tatara happily exclaimed as he clapped his hands together, the bar went silent as everyone waited for her response.

"Misaki, since you just got home you can go first," she smiled as she hopped up from the couch and walked over to the skateboarder, she grabbed his hand before dragging him back to the couch with her. Yata sat down in between Mikoto and Tatara whilst Anna climbed onto the King's lap, she shot him a knowing look that brought a smile to his face.

"Are you sure, Anna?" Misaki asked with a hint of a smile as the young girl vigorously shook her head.

"I'm sure, welcome home."

"Thanks Princess, do you want to hand me whatever there is?"

Mikoto smiled at the exchange, watching as his Princess dashed to the tree, picking up as many boxes as she could that had Yata's name on them before she had trouble holding them, he got off the couch and took a few from her hands, a gesture she beamed at.

"Do you want to open Mikoto's first?" She asked as she pushed him a rather large box that was wrapped in red and gold paper with a white ribbon laced around it, there was a small spark in Yata's eyes as he smiled and accepted the gift. He just hoped he liked what was inside the box.

"All right let's see here," Yata laughed as he gently tugged the ribbon off the box, reaching out to sit it on top of Anna's head, something that made the young girl reach up and touch it with both hands, a smile on her face. Everyone in the bar shared a small laugh as she turned around and showed it off to them. Mikoto watched Yata peel the paper off before he opened up the box, slowly he began to pull the items out of it, one by one.

A pair of red shoes for skateboarding, a black leather jacket, two pairs of skinny khaki pants because Mikoto swore that his lover owned nothing but cargo shorts, three pairs of tight fitting jogging pants, knowing how much Yata liked to run, the newest watch that was on the market that had literally cost Mikoto a small fortune (one he had to take out of his savings account), and a collection of new beanies. When Yata got to the bottom of the box a huge grin broke out on his face, even larger than the one he was already expressing, he proudly lifted the last item in his hands.

"And a new skateboard? Holy shit this is awesome!" Mikoto grinned as he watched the younger man rip the shrink wrap off the board, it mimicked his current one to the degree that the HOMRA insignia was on it but the board itself was bright red, the logo black against the main color and the word Yatagarasu was written on the side in bright and shiny gold paint. "I think I'm in love! This board is amazing!"

Out of all the gifts he figured that would be the one to make his lover the happiest, he hadn't been wrong in thinking that.

"There's new gear in there somewhere too," he commented as he waved back at the box. Yata quickly glanced back in before pulling out a much smaller box that indeed had a fresh roll of grip tape amongst other necessities in it. Mikoto expected a million thank you's even though he didn't feel like he needed them but Yata was always full of surprises.

He had definitely not been expecting the younger man to literally jump into his arms and squeeze the life out of him, the amount of laughter coming from the other people in the room was borderline impossible by the time the Red King managed to convince the younger man to let him breathe.

"Mikoto-san you're the best," Misaki mumbled as he flung his arms around his neck and buried his face in the space between his arms and the King's shoulder. He closed his eyes as he wrapped his arms around the man in his lap, not really caring that everyone was still watching them or about the fact that Tatara was filming them like he didn't have any regard for his safety. The King made a mental note to scold him for it later. Scold meaning hit.

"Anna maybe you should have saved that one for last," Izumo exclaimed with a shake of his head, "now they're never gonna stop and we'll never get through this." Mikoto snapped his fingers, sparks flying in the bartenders direction as he ducked behind Dewa for cover, "not in the bar, Mikoto! Sheesh."

Yata took the hint and reluctantly pried himself off of the Red King's lap, flopping back over in his spot as he opened the rest of his gifts. By the time he was done he had every video game he had made mention of wanting, actually that was the only thing everyone else had gotten him. That may or may not have been because Mikoto told everyone he was covering everything else, no one seemed to mind that because in the long haul he was the only one spending an extravagant amount of money on the skateboarder.

"Anna, you go next," Misaki stated as he got up from his seat and began to hand her gifts.

And on and on it went.

Anna got a bunch of new clothes, Tatara got things for his current wide variety of hobbies, Chitose got a private party with a few strippers (that everyone had jokingly bought for him but he was absolutely thrilled.) Izumo got a few decorations he had been dying for to go in the bar, Kamamoto had gotten a new variety of sunglasses and tracksuits, per his request, and so on. Everything had went extremely well, and Mikoto relished in the fact every single one of his clansmen looked genuinely happy. They looked carefree. That was all he had wished for on that holiday.

But still, a stack of presents remained under the tree for him.

"Mikoto-san, will you open mine first?" Yata beamed as he held out a rather large package in his direction, after he took it the younger man scratched the back of his head nervously. "It's not quite as extravagant as the gifts you gave me but I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I'll love it," the King mumbled as he peeled off the paper with reckless abandon, his fingers hooked under the tape on the cardboard box as he broke the seal on it, exposing the items inside. The first thing that caught his attention was something that looked a lot like his coat, but this one was newer with no signs of damage or cigarette burns near the sleeves, he picked it up carefully, practically gawking at the item in his hands.

"I don't know what the significance with the one you have is but I sent a few photos to a local clothing maker and she made this one for you, if it doesn't fit or if you don't want a new one I un-"

"It's perfect," he smiled as he dropped the coat onto his lap, a grin plastered on his face as his boyfriend's eyes lit up. Truth of the matter was the only thing significant about the coat he had always worn was the fact it had been a gift from his mother, who passed away a few years back. They were never close, they never got along either but it had been the last thing he ever received from the woman who had raised him. The new one was a gift from someone else important to him, and in a way he was glad that he could finally retire the worn out jacket that had served as a parting gift from his mother. It seemed fitting to let go of it and hang it in the closet in favor of the new one. "Thank you."

"That's not all," Misaki teased as he turned the bar stool he was seated in completely around, Mikoto stared down at the box at his feet as he carefully sat the jacket aside. Sure enough there were several other things in the box, a new set of silver bracelets, a new lighter that had his name carved into the side in red ink, five packs of his usual cigarettes, which made him laugh when he saw them, and another small box that sat at the bottom of the larger one.

He grabbed it and studied the decorative paper for a moment before he peeled it off and examined what was inside. It was a photo that was dated from the first few days Yata had started staying at HOMRA, Yata and himself were seated at the bar, the younger man was beaming at something and a small smile was plastered on his own face. A note was attached to the picture frame but he disregarded it for a moment, his eyes instead studying the way they looked in the photo.

Even back then when things between them had been platonic and unsaid there was a certain level of something that shown in their eyes. He wondered how he had never noticed it before that moment. He always had thought Yata looked at him that way because he wanted to be him but the more he looked at it the more wrong that felt. That wasn't the typical look someone gave their role model, that look was nothing short of complete and total adoration.

What he saw in his own eyes wasn't far off from that. He opened the note, choosing not to give into Tatara's request to know what he was looking at.

 **Mikoto,**

 **Merry Christmas, first of all. I hope you like everything I got you, you're a bit hard to buy things for! ^^; I mean what do you get for a man that shows no interest in anything other than fighting, sleep, and other...activities? Answer: I don't think anyone could ever know.**

 **I presume we're sitting in HOMRA right now as you read this, the same place we had our first real conversation and the same place where I first realized how hopelessly in love with you I was. Funny how things change, isn't it? This time last year I was so hellbent on being like you and this year I'm hellbent on being with you. I much prefer the latter. No one could ever fill in your shoes.**

 **Since we're at the bar and I'm sure everyone is around us you're probably reading this to yourself, maybe ignoring the way the guys keep pestering to know what you're reading, and if you want to tell them I suppose you can but we've always like to keep this part of our lives to ourselves. I don't think that's gonna change, you probably hate how sentimental I'm being but what can I say? I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic sometimes.**

 **BUT if you do read this aloud, stop here...things could get weird otherwise. It would scar Anna for life. I couldn't live with the guilt. T-T**

 **Since I sold my place I was able to get you a few things but I always wish I could do more for you. Like everything I do I don't like to half ass anything so I want to make this up to you later. I've got one more "present" for you, one I hope you enjoy...but you'll have to wait until we're alone, if you know what I mean. ;P**

 **Or you could just throw me on the bar, but I think Izumo would kill us.**

Suoh laughed at the last line, it was crossed out a thousand times but he could still see it clear as day. If no one was here that would be a tempting offer, he thought as he checked the last part of the attached note.

 **Anyway, Merry Christmas. I'm so glad we're all together still, and it's all thanks to you. I could never thank you enough for all you've done, I just hope that you know my love is like my loyalty. It's for you and you only. Always.**

 **Yata :D**

"Thank you, Yata," he stated as he folder the letter and shoved it in his pocket to keep it safe from the prying eyes in this room. He gently placed the items back in the box before standing up and taking the new jacket in his hands. He slipped on the coat with ease, noting it was still stiff because it was new but also realizing that it fit him even better than the one he had upstairs in his room. "Perfect," he proclaimed as he turned to face the younger man, "everything's perfect."

"I'm glad," Misaki answered with a smile, and a small wink when no one else in the room was looking.

The rest of the gifts Mikoto received were overwhelming to him, new clothes, tons of cigarettes, his own personal stash of booze so Kusanagi couldn't scold him for drinking all of the bar's supply, Tatara gave him a home movie that they would all watch later in the night as well as an expensive looking rose gold earring that matched the one he always wore. Izumo got him a wide variety of hair products and a pair of extremely pricey boots that Mikoto had favored for awhile. All in all, he was beyond thankful and expressed his gratitude profusely, something that seemed to lighten the already good mood that filtered around the bar in time with the sappy Christmas music that Anna kept playing on repeat.

The young girl bounded over to the King with a small box in her hands, the last present of the evening, and of course it was addressed to him,from: Anna

"For me?" He asked as he took the small box with a grin, one the girl eagerly returned.

"Merry Christmas, Mikoto."

"Thank you," he smiled as he opened the box up, of course it was nothing lavish seeing as it was a gift from an eleven year old girl with no possible way to have a source of income but what was inside the box he deemed was better than anything money could buy. In fact, it was an absolutely beautiful drawing of everyone in HOMRA, he was honestly amazed she had put that much attention to detail in the picture. The fact that it looked like a professional did it? He wasn't surprised but it left him feeling the slightest bit floored. "Anna, you did this by yourself?"

"Mhm," she nodded her head as she walked over to him, head tilting to the side. "Do you like it?"

"It's amazing, I love it," he answered as he handed the drawing to Tatara who was dying to see it, he then scooped her up in his arms. "Thank you, it's a perfect present."

"I'm glad you and Tatara are here," she mumbled into his ear as she hugged him back, the words stung.

"I'm sorry I put you through this, I promise I'm gonna stop...I have to be here to take care of you, don't I?" He felt her grip on him tighten.

"You do, I don't want you to go anywhere."

"I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'm always going to be here for you," he rubbed her back reassuringly, "I love you Anna, everything is gonna be fine." It dawned on him that it was the first time he ever told his adopted daughter he loved her, something that made a twinge of guilt spill over him. If she detected it she didn't seem to notice, she was too shocked by the words to do anything but bury her face in the crook of his neck.

"I love you too, Mikoto." She eventually said back, something that made the Red King smile out of relief.

"I'd hope so, you're my kid after all. I can't have you hating me," he chuckled as she laughed at the suggestion, "you're the best kid a guy could ask for, too."

"Mikoto-san you're making us tear up, stop," Kamamoto whined as he wiped tears from his eyes, something a few other members of HOMRA mimicked. Anna giggled as she hopped down from his lap, happily going over to Tatara who was keen on asking her about her picture, even Izumo seemed fixated on the wonderful drawing. With all attention averted elsewhere he stood up from his spot again, walking over to the bar so he could hug Yata like he usually did when he was seated there.

Arms wrapped around his neck, chest against his back, and his head atop of the younger man's, though this time he lifted his head and tilted the younger man's chin up so they made eye contact. "About that other present, can I redeem that later tonight?"

"If you can come up with an excuse to get away from them for an hour then you can have it whenever you want it," Misaki mumbled with a heavy blush decorating his cheeks, "I'm healthy so we don't have any more excuses."

Mikoto smirked.

"Ah, I'm yours whenever you want me."

Yata's blush worsened, "god, don't say things like that."

"It's true," Suoh commented with a chuckle as he brushed the hair out of the younger man's eyes.

"I love you Mikoto, Merry Christmas."

"I love you too, Yata." He leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead, "Merry Christmas."

Holidays made people sentimental, not even the Third King, Mikoto Suoh, was immune to that.


	11. Knife

**April 1st, 2013**

"Mikoto, you've got a phone call," Izumo pressed the receiver to his usual bartender get up, muffling whatever was said so the person on the other line couldn't hear them.

"Hm?" The Red King stirred, lifting his head out of Tatara's lap as he glanced over at the man on the other side of the barroom, his friend merely shrugged.

"It's important," he ensured as he pressed his weight against the shelves that housed the liquor.

"Mhm," Suoh acknowledged as he slunk off the couch with a grunt, on his way to pick up the phone he ruffled Anna's hair, causing her to halt whatever she was doing with her marbles and shoot him a wary smile. Izumo handed him the phone with a shrug as he got back to his daily cleaning. "Hello?"

"Mikoto-san, it's me," _Yata_ , the King sighed and braced himself against the same shelf Kusanagi had loitered against, "I tried calling your cell but it went straight to voice mail, I know you want us to report to Kusanagi-san for the most part but I thought you might be interested in hearing this yourself."

"What is it?" He mumbled as he surveyed the few patrons that loitered around the bar, all of them seemed too caught up in their own conversations to pay attention to the one he was having, which was good. HOMRA and _HOMRA_ were two completely different entities, the last thing they needed was for the patrons to think otherwise. These people kept the lights on, after all.

"The Silver King, Adolf K. Weismann, or Shiro, or whatever they call him these days has woken up from his coma."

Now this was certainly news worth hearing.

"I overheard a few low rank Blues talking about it while I was on lunch, get this, apparently he wants the Blue King to continue to look after the Dresden Slate for the time being so he can spend time reacquainting himself with his territory and his clansmen."

"You mean the school island?"

"Yeah, that's the one. I swear these new Blues are careless, then again I don't stand out as much as I used too." Mikoto smirked at that, it was true, Yata had seemed to tone it down if only a little during the last few months. They had both officially moved in at HOMRA, Mikoto having sold his apartment once Anna insisted that she liked the bar better, but since then _Yatagarasu_ seemed to have a smidgen more self control than he used too. _I have things and people I want to protect now, I can't afford to be too careless. I can't let you carry this burden alone anymore._ Is how the younger man had described the sudden change.

And since he favored the leather jacket and skinny khaki pant's Mikoto had given him he wore those almost as often as his usual garb, the more he changed it up the easier it was for him to blend in. He even ditched his beanie on some days and wore his hair down, he never did cut it quite as short once Mikoto commented that he thought it looked good long. He hadn't meant that in a way that meant _it looks better_ but that was apparently how the younger man had taken it.

"So besides this news, how is Shizume looking?" Mikoto inquired as he toyed with the end of the coat he had gotten for Christmas. He kept it pristine, he was even mindful of not burning it with cigarettes or letting blood get on it, Yata had complained way too much when he wound up cleaning his old one before hanging it in the back of their closet. He made a mental note that while Yata was good at house work it was not worth hearing about it. He'd never ask him to clean ever again. Cook was another story. Suoh swore he had gained a few pounds over the last few months from eating so much of the skateboarder's food but the scale said otherwise.

"Looking good, I advised the Blues to leave because this was our turf but I didn't disclose that I was someone in HOMRA of course, they'll find that out the hard way." Misaki laughed lightly, "oh there is one thing that happened today that was kind of strange."

"What's that?"

"I saw Seri Awashima earlier in the day, she's gained so much weight it's not even funny, I didn't even realize what was going on until she turned sideways, and man I never expected it but she's pregnant." Mikoto paled as he turned to glare at his best friend who was still scrubbing the bar without a care in the world.

"What did you just say?"

"Yeah she's huge, like four months along or something, must have happened when we were all close knit with the Blues, I wonder why Kusanagi-san hasn't told us."

"Izumo..." Mikoto growled lowly, eyes glowing a deep red as he worked as hard as he could to contain himself, not wanting to make a huge scene in front of the patrons, "what did you do?"

"Eh?" The bartender asked as he looked over his shoulder, cigarette falling from his mouth as he saw the look he was getting from his King.

"Mikoto-san it's a joke don't kill him!" Yata cackled, a noise so loud Suoh had to move the phone away from his ear, "April Fools!"

"Give me that phone!" Izumo huffed as he snatched the device out of his best friend's hands.

"I don't know what you just told him but you're gonna get me killed, you idiot!"

Mikoto sighed and shrugged his shoulders, finding the situation a bit amusing though he had literally been ready to kill the bartender, _poor Izumo_. He walked around the bar and had a seat next to Anna, who was still diligently working on whatever she was doing, she paused for a moment as she picked a marble off the table and examined her guardian with it.

"You told him what!?

"Yata get your ass back here! I'm gonna give you something to cry about if you don't walk through that door in the next ten minutes!"

"Oi...he hung up on me! Can you believe the nerve of that boy?" Izumo scowled as he tossed the phone down onto the receiver, not even bothering to apologize to the startled customers who all quietly looked away when his temper tantrum ended. "Control your boyfriend, would ya'?"

Mikoto glared at him before chuckling softly, "it was pretty funny."

"Like hell it was, if Seri-chan was pregnant she'd kill me...well if Munakata didn't cut me to pieces first." Izumo looked sick at the thought, "dating someone as strong as her is a scary thing, let me tell ya'."

The Red King shook his head at that, turning his attention back to Anna who looked like she had no idea what was going on. Which was _probably_ for the best.

"Mikoto can we go shopping today?" Red eyes gleamed up at him, hopeful and excited at the prospect of getting to go out of the bar in favor of something she enjoyed a lot more than sitting around. Anna spent almost all of her time at the bar, Izumo, Mikoto and Tatara all took turns teaching her things she would learn in school, seeing as they couldn't exactly put her in one, and reading had become a huge passion of hers. Or more like having people read to her became her passion. Even though she could read and write well she almost always insisted that someone else do it for her.

"Bookstore?" He suggested as he relaxed back into his seat, the girl vigorously nodded her head. "We just went last week and got you three new books," he commented as he gave her an inquisitive stare.

"Tatara read two of them to me already and Misaki read me the other one," she announced with a small shrug of her shoulders, Mikoto swore the older she got the more she started acting like him. He made a mental note to make sure she stopped doing that, having Anna grow up to be like him would be a nightmare, one he would not let happen.

"Yata knows what books are?" Izumo laughed as he cleaned a glass that was in his hand, a bitter look crossed his face. _And clearly he's still upset,_ the Red King noted with a shake of his head.

"Sure Anna, we can go now if you want." Suoh said as he stood up from his chair, picking the young girl off of hers before he gently placed her feet on the floor, she grabbed his hand immediately afterward. "Tatara do you want to go?"

"No thanks, King. You and Anna should spend some time together today, I'll stay here and help out," the cameraman remarked with a grin, completely oblivious to the way Kusanagi insisted that he _never helped out unless he was forced to do so_.

"Ah," he grumbled as he clutched onto his daughter's hand, stalking out the front door with her in tow as they walked the short distance to the bookstore just south of HOMRA. It was only four blocks away, not really a long walk and the weather had finally turned from the harshness of winter into the warmth of spring, something the Red King would never complain about. The only thing he'd miss about the winter was the way Yata would curl up next to him for added warmth, because it was a well known fact he was never cold, though he would never admit to any of that aloud.

Anna practically drug him in the bookstore when they arrived. They automatically ascended the staircase so they were in the section labeled _Fantasy_ , where she let go of his hand and flew down the isles in complete and total awe of all the books that lined the shelves. He could only sigh, knowing that telling her to take it easy would prove to be completely useless.

"She's adorable," an elderly woman chuckled as she walked by the Red King, her eyes met his for a brief moment before she continued to survey the shelves, "I wish my children had been that excited about reading."

"I'd rather her be obsessed with this than something else, at least reading is good for her," Mikoto answered as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, "she's in heaven here."

"Word of advice," the woman smiled as she turned to face him, "buy her one of the books that have a collection of stories in them. They might be a bit more expensive but you will save a ton of money in the long haul, a book with thirty stories in it saves you a good amount of money in comparison to a book that only has one."

"Thanks for the tip," Suoh smirked as he watched Anna come to a screeching halt in the isle, a book in her hand and a blush on her face. "What?"

"Can you read this to me Mikoto?"

The woman spared him a sympathetic glance before walking down the isle, grabbing a rather large book from the shelf before she handed it to Anna who stared at her a bit dumbfounded. "This one has a lot more to it than that one does, perhaps your father and you could read these over time," she suggested as she smiled back at Suoh.

"Thank you, I appreciate it," he commented as he walked over to take the books from Anna, who bowed politely to the woman as she led him to a small couch that was hidden between the _Fantasy_ section and the isle that housed all the small nick-nacs the store carried. "You want both of these?" Anna nodded her head with a small smile.

"If you don't mind," she added quietly as she clutched the smaller of the books to her chest.

"Of course I don't mind," he grinned as he put his hand out, "want me to read that one to you now or later?"

"You'll read it now?" She asked with a sparkle in her eyes, her excitement at the offer was more than apparent.

"Yeah, let me see it."

With the book in his hand he relaxed back into the couch, Anna leaned her head on his shoulder as they launched into the story that was _Where the Wild Things Are_. About halfway through the story he detected a presence around them but after briefly surveying their surroundings he continued to read, it wasn't until the person that he had felt arrive showed up that he put two and two together.

"Where the Wild Things Are? Seems rather fitting, though I didn't expect to find one of them in a bookstore," and Mikoto would be damned if it wasn't Reisi Munakata standing across from him with a large shopping bag in his hands, a smirk on his usually stoic looking face.

"Munakata you need to watch it," he seethed as he handed the book to Anna who took it without question, the Red King swore he heard her sigh.

"Relax Suoh, it was a joke, even I am capable of making those," the Blue King countered as he pushed his glasses up further on his nose.

"Why are you on my turf?"

"I'm shopping, isn't that obvious?"

"Go to Ikebukuro if you need to shop, you're not welcome in Shizume," Suoh hissed as he stood up from his seat, ignoring Anna's request for him to _stop because this was her favorite bookstore_.

"Well that's not a kind thing to say to an old friend," Munakata huffed as he adjusted his hold on the shopping bag, he couldn't bring himself to overlook Suoh's comment on how _they were never really friends to begin with._

"After everything we've been through I'm shocked Suoh, what ever will you do when I call upon you for the last part of my favor?"

"I told you I was done, I meant that," he commented as he took a deep breath, "I'm not putting my people in danger over a stupid cell phone app and a bunch of loser gamers who are shelled up in a pig stye most of the time."

"That's quite a stereotypical thing to say, Yatagarasu is quite the gamer and he doesn't live like filth, does he?"

Mikoto fought off the urge to say _not anymore_.

"Besides, these loser gamers you refer to tried to kill you, they are anything but typical."

"What do you want from me, Munakata?" Mikoto exhaled sharply as he spared a glance back at Anna, who was staring at him with wide eyes, almost scrutinizing his every movement.

"Jungle is trying to get us to kill each other," the Blue King replied with a click of his tongue, "Fushimi-kun has managed to log in to Jungle through a secure server, one we've ensured is untraceable, and not hackable, and has found the mission in question. 5,000 Jungle Points to whomever can get you and I to fight one another, 50,000 if one of us dies as a result. The mission launched a week ago."

"So why have things been so quiet if that's the case?" Mikoto questioned as he shifted his weight back and forth impatiently, eventually caving into Anna's pulling on his coat tails he joined her on the couch again, waving for the Blue King to sit on a small recliner adjacent from them- which he did after a moments hesitation.

"Perhaps it's because the Silver King has awakened, which you might not have known," the Red King clicked his tongue, "that they have been reluctant to act. It is now a well known fact that a J-Rank clansmen of Jungle, that is believed to have real life ties with Hisui Nagare, is after a certain Silver Clansman, Kuroh Yatogami. Perhaps they will attack the First King and his clan as well."

"Are they idiotic? Taking on all of us at the same time? Tch, sounds like Nagare is losing his patience," Mikoto smirked as he wrapped his arm loosely around Anna, "can we take them out already? I'm not a very patient person myself and I've changed my mind, I want to roast them alive."

"Actually, that's something I've been meaning to talk to you about," Reisi exclaimed as he laced his fingers together. "I just don't feel particularly comfortable doing it here, where people can hear us. Jungle is hard to deal with because any person around you could be a member, and a high ranking one at that. It's a scary thought, how well they can blend in amongst normal civilians. We'd never know the difference."

"The gap in strength between clansmen, high ranking or not, and Kings is massive. The last thing I'm afraid of is Jungle's clansmen," Mikoto growled as he looked over at the slightly younger man. "Fine, let's go to HOMRA and finish this discussion."

"I thought you'd never ask, but first off I think there is something you need to do."

"What?" Mikoto felt the urge to slam his head into the coffee table that sat in front of him.

"Finish reading that story to Anna, she looks incredibly disappointed. Then allow me to buy her those books so this trip isn't wasted on my account," Munakata laughed when he gave him an evil glare, but the Red King ended up doing as he suggested. Ignoring the way the Blue King smirked the entire time he read Anna the rest of her story.

0o0o0o

"Yata I'm gonna kill you!"

"No you're not! Mikoto-san tell him to lighten up, it was just a prank!"

The Red King sipped a glass of water at the bar with a blank look on his face, not even bothering to turn around when he heard the distinct sound of objects crashing and clanging together. Somewhere behind him Tatara tried to keep the peace and Anna observed it all with a confused look etched onto her features. He just couldn't be bothered with the situation at the time, too much weighed down on his mind.

"Tomorrow we are going to fight Scepter4 at a certain hotel on the other side of Shizume," Mikoto announced in a matter of fact tone as he spun around in his chair. Not even surprised to see Yata in a headlock that Izumo was inflicting, though Tatara tried to pull them apart. The three of them froze as the words he said sank in.

"A scheduled fight? You brought the Blue King here so you two could plan a skirmish?" Kusanagi seemed flabbergasted at the idea, shaking his head in disbelief as he relinquished a now very red faced Yata.

"The Blue King was here? What? Why?" Suoh knew the look he was getting too well from his boyfriend, it was pure jealously that teetered on the edge of blind rage. To say Misaki disliked Munakata's attitude towards the Red King would be an understatement.

"This isn't about Scepter4," Anna added in response to their questions as she glanced over to Mikoto, "this is about Jungle."

"Jungle? But King I thought you said we were done dealing with them?" Totsuka recalled as he patted Yata on the back reassuringly. Mikoto smiled sadly at them in response.

"Shit, I know that look, it's gotten bad, hasn't it?" Izumo groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "we're going to war tomorrow, aren't we?"

"Ah," Suoh replied with a small shrug, "we will fight the Blues until the Green Clan makes an appearance, I have no doubt that Hisui Nagare and his top ranking clansmen will be there when that time comes. Munakata is going to ask the Silver King to assist us again so it's gonna be us against them, three clans against one. At least our odds are good."

"This is a bit short notice but hell, it always is," the bartender shook his head slightly, "all right, I'll tell everyone to be ready first thing in the morning."

"Do you plan on killing the Green King?" Tatara asked as he took up a seat on the couch, leaving Yata standing in the in center of the room with a look disbelief on his face.

"No, this isn't really my fight unless they make a direct move against us, trying to antagonize us is one thing, actually going through with it is another. Jungle isn't something we need to take lightly, Munakata said he has a plan to deal with as many people as Jungle can afford to throw at us so we will just have to see how things turn out."

"Well if it involves kicking some ass then count me in," Misaki proclaimed as he sent a smile to his King, "I need to redeem myself after the last big battle we had."

 _You need to be careful and not act like an idiot and get yourself hurt again,_ Mikoto wanted to say but stopped himself from doing so, he wasn't prepared to deal with the torment he would get as a result of showing how worried he was about something happening to his lover.

"The text has been sent, so what do we do in the morning?" Izumo inquired as he leaned against the bar, eying everyone in the room with an intent expression.

"Munakata said he'd call me in the morning and let me know when and where we could meet up, apparently he wants us to have a talk with the Silver King before we launch into this. Izumo, Yata, I expect you two to come with me for cover when we go, should something go awry." The King sighed as he studied the expressions of his clansmen, "afterward I suppose we will all just go our separate ways then meet up tomorrow evening before we put the plan into action."

"Sounds good enough, I've been itching to do something other than take out Yakuza," Kusanagi laughed as he glanced at the clock on the far wall of the bar, "when we take out the Greens then what?"

"Then we go back to being a pain in the Blue's asses, that's what," Suoh smirked as he stood up from his spot and retrieved a very flustered Yata from the center of the room, he pulled him to the staircase before turning to look back at the rest of his clansmen, "we'll be back later, I need a nap."

"So you need Yata to go with you? Tatara take Anna on a walk, will you?" Izumo chuckled, over looking the middle finger that was shown to him as the Red King ascended the stairs. His mind on the furthest thing from sleep.

0o0o0o

"So, things are about to get serious again, huh?" Yata asked as he traced patterns onto the bare chest of the Red King's skin, the latter let out a shuddered breath, his left hand pulling Yata closer to him until the younger man's head fell on his chest.

"Yeah, they are," he remarked as he ran his fingers down the smaller man's spine, smiling as a shiver ran throughout him.

"Are you nervous?" Misaki questioned as he shifted so he could look up at his King, who shook his head in response. "Good, I'm not either. A straight forward fight is what we excel at, plus we know what we're dealing with this time around. No more surprises."

 **Ring...ring...**

As if on cue, Mikoto's phone rang at 6:03 in the morning, way too early but considering he and Yata had woken up at five just in case the Blue King had decided to call even earlier, he wasn't that irritated. That being the key word. He groaned as he reached over to the bedside table, grabbing his phone before he settled back into bed, Yata still wrapped around him as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"Hello?"

"Morning Suoh, how did everything go?" Munakata sounded way too chipper, as if he had been awake for the last two hours drinking coffee and solving his favorite 1000 piece puzzles, something told Mikoto that assumption was probably not far off from the truth.

"Fine, we're ready whenever," he answered in short as he continued to trail his fingers down Yata's spine, the younger man yelped when he grabbed a handful of his backside, something that nearly made the Red King burst into laughter.

"Is everything all right?" Came the concerned reply, something so hilariously Munakata.

"Ah, so what's the plan?" Mikoto reluctantly let his hand trail back up the smaller man's back, stopping when it rested on the place where the scar from his encounter with the Colorless King resided. Misaki hated that more than anything, claiming it made him feel self conscious though the Red King couldn't see why. Everyone in HOMRA had scars here and there, even he had a few though they were faint, scars from a long time ago when his Aura didn't take care of things for him, back when he didn't have it at all. Suoh found beauty in scars, thinking they were reminders of fights well fought and earned, he wished the younger man would only feel the same way.

"Well the Silver King has agreed to be a part of our plan but says he doesn't think meeting up would be a good idea with so many prying eyes around the city, I'm inclined to agree with him. So we're having a phone conference."

"Now?" Suoh asked with a grunt of agitation, realizing he had woken up early for no reason thanks to the other King's change of heart.

"Hello," came a distinct voice that he placed immediately as the white haired man he had met back at Ashinaka High School, "your name is Suoh Mikoto, yes? Sorry we didn't have a chance to properly talk, things on the day we met were quite erratic."

"Ah, so they were," Mikoto remarked as he put the phone on speaker, laying it on the opposite side of his chest that Yata wasn't using as a pillow. "So what do you suggest, Weismann?" The skateboarder shot the older man a look that basically said _what the fuck is going on?_ A sentiment the Red King couldn't help but shrug at. Truth be told he was lost, too.

"When Reisi contacted me last night my clansmen and I already took our place at this hotel, it's been commandeered for the time being so we don't have to worry about civilians. What I suggest is you, Red King, arrive here early and create a ruckus of some sort, anything to draw attention. From there Reisi can move in freely and you two can engage in mock combat until Jungle decides to do something. I'm aware that the Jungle mission calls for you two to fight and one of you to perish but I have a strong feeling that the Green King will not be so patient."

"When do you want to start the party? And what will we do when Nagare shows?" Suoh yawned as he fought off the strong temptation he felt to hang up the phone and go back to sleep. He liked a good fight just as much as anyone and yes, Jungle technically deserved to feel his wrath but not at six o'clock in the morning.

"Two hours from now, if you can manage that," Munakata answered with a click of his tongue, his tone of voice was almost teasing. Yata rolled his eyes, mouthing _I really don't like that guy_ to the more than amused Red King.

"When the Green King arrives you and Munakata are to lure him to me, from there we will attempt to reason with him." Weismann said with a bit of reluctance, "should he fail to comply...well...we will try to incapacitate him as much as possible until he is forced to call off all missions in regards to our clans."

"Can Nagare even fight? Last I checked, he was still in a wheelchair with extremely limited mobility, even in his arms, isn't this a bit unfair?" Mikoto pinched his brow with his free hand, he had tried to word that in a way that didn't seem extremely offensive nor overly understanding but it managed to come out as a combination of both.

"Hisui Nagare is more than capable of fighting, Suoh. We are to show him no mercy, he would do the same unto us," Reisi reminded him, the older man could practically see the frown he was likely making when he said that.

"Right," he replied as he glanced down at the brunette that was clinging to him, he instinctively brushed the loose hair away from his eyes. "So the plan is to scare him into thinking we will never stand for such bold actions against the three of us?"

"Into thinking that? I was actually going to propose we form a pact to keep Jungle in check from here on out, one of us he could easily take on, two would be difficult, three would be impossible. I hate the conflict that happens between us, any chance we could have to resolve this peacefully would be great but if the best thing that comes out of this is an agreement between the three of us then that is something I will settle for." Weismann announced, the line was quiet for several moments while the two other Kings mulled it over.

"Fine, but don't expect me to work with you both on everything. I'm pretty sure I'm going to wind up killing Munakata if we continue to be so casual around one another, my Aura has been itching to tear into you. It's hard to control that instinct," Suoh said with a chuckle as he heard Reisi curse on the other line.

"I'm tired of you at this point, too. Don't worry, the feeling is mutual, the Blue Aura would love to slice you into pieces. Weismann, Scepter4 will work with your clan and HOMRA in regards to Jungle, but I cannot promise that the conflict will cease between Suoh and I, that day won't come until one of us is in the ground."

"That's disappointing news but I will take that for what it is, it saddens me that we've lost so many Kings in the span of the last six months but I suppose these things are bound to happen. I'm only thankful that there was no tragedies that ensued afterward, Daikuku finds me foolish but I still think that we, as Kings, have the ability to change this world for the better." The optimistic tone in the First King's voice made both of the other Kings frown.

"Let's just start by taking down Jungle and see where things go from there," Reisi suggested, "perhaps even Nagare can be reasoned with."

"Perhaps, I'd like to think that this assumption would be correct. Well, Suoh Mikoto, you know where to go right?"

"Ah."

"All right, my clansmen and I will be hiding somewhere in the building until Jungle arrives, it is best to keep the element of surprise on our side. Jungle is clueless about Ashinaka High School, knowing only what student/low ranking users of the app had to say about it. They managed to find out I had gotten injured and was in a coma but they do not know the exact details of that day, which will come to work out in our favor. They do not know what I am capable of seeing as I have never had a confrontation with them." Weismann commented with a deep intake of breath, "do be diligent and keep your eyes open for the enemy when you two engage in battle."

"We will, sir."

"Ah."

"Well...good luck, we will see each other shortly then."

Mikoto hung up the phone before anything else could be said, it was then that Yata finally spoke up.

"Well that was sappy for a pre-battle talk," he laughed as he sat up, stretching out his back in the process.

"I'm so tired of people acting so sentimental," he admitted as he too sat up and stretched out his limbs, "we need to get everyone here and get ready to go."

"I'll handle it, you go take a shower and relax a bit before we leave, let me handle this." Misaki looked back at him with a smile, "it's the least I can do."

"You sure?"

"Mhm, just take it easy. Let us worry about this," Mikoto smiled as he climbed out of bed, traipsing over to their shared dressed so he could retrieve clothes for the day. Yata on the other hand began sending out a text message to the rest of HOMRA to inform them to get to the bar as quickly as possible.

"I'll go wake up Anna and Kusanagi-san," the younger man proclaimed as he pulled his usual garb out of one of the dresser drawers, quickly throwing it on before he smoothed his hair back and placed a beanie on his head. Mikoto watched him quietly until he was the only one left in the room, with a heavy sigh he stalked into the bathroom, turning on the warm water before he stepped into the shower, thankful that for once he wasn't the one having to pull the strings.

0o0o0o

If there was ever a calling for Suoh Mikoto he swore it was destruction.

It took a minimal amount of effort to warp the hotel lobby, light fixtures melted on impact and sparks flew in all directions as he and his clansmen made quick work of causing a disturbance. It didn't take long for the Blues to show up, all looking less than worried as they engaged in mock combat. Mikoto watched Yata fly by him in a blur of red as he and Saruhiko began their usual bout, even Seri and Izumo were fighting it out, but the way they put hardly any effort into it showed how _serious_ they were taking this.

He stared into the eyes of Reisi Munakata, his Aura burning inside of him as he held his fists up, the Blue King's Sword of Damocles pierced the sky to meet his own. Large amounts of stored energy caused them to clash in the sky at the very moment Munakata drew his sword and charged. The blade rested dully on the right side of the Red King's arm, the sharp side was pointed away from him.

 _Is he really fighting me with the blunt end of his sword?_

He pushed him back with ease, both of them sliding a good ten feet backwards before they charged again, Suoh let out a guttural cry as he slung his fist, hissing slightly when the other King blocked it with the side of his sword. "It's been too long," he growled as he quickly pivoted on his heels, letting out a kick that ripped the pavement around them, still the Blue King dodged it with ease.

"It really has," Munakata said as he pointed his sword in the redhead's direction, "ready to have some fun?"

"Do you really need to ask?" Mikoto laughed as he wound his hand up, flames whipping around his limb as he unleashed a ball of energy in the other King's direction, Reisi sliced it in two without any true effort. _Rehearsed. This is the same battle dance we've done for years._

"Boss!"

Mikoto looked over his shoulder as he spotted Shouhei running his direction, he came to a screeching halt in the corridor, looking completely out of breath as he placed his hands on his knees to brace himself.

"What's going on?" He asked as he stared at his clansmen, behind him he could feel Munakata mover in closer to them.

"A large amount of Green Clansmen have begun to move into the area, scouts from two blocks out say they're approaching us from all sides. What will be our next move?" Shouhei breathed out as he raised his head to look up at the two quarreling Kings.

"When they arrive continue fighting with the Blues so they let their guard down for a moment, when the time is right and they start to move in give them one helluva surprise and engage them. Should any extremely difficult persons arrive on scene lure them to Izumo, he'll take care of them." Suoh breathed out as he crossed his arms, "what will you do, Munakata?"

"I must say I think your plan is good enough to go through with, hopefully the Green King makes an appearance," Reisi answered as he came to stand side by side with the Red King, "shall we continue?"

"Gladly, Shouhei, go relay the message to everyone," Mikoto commanded as he waved off his clansmen, turning to face his current opponent. "This is gonna be a good fight, isn't it?"

"I'm inclined to agree, we know everything we need to know about Jungle, this is goin-"

"Captain!"

Cursing, the Blue King turned to face his Lieutenant, who had a severely concerned expression on her face. "We have news that the Green King, Hisui Nagare, has arrived...at Mihashira Tower." Both Kings gawked at her.

"Dammit, we've been played like fools," Munakata exclaimed with a look of sheer disgust, "Suoh we need to go, we cannot allow them to harm the Slate."

"We need to find Weismann before we do anything," he added as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, "why does everything always have to be this complicated?"

"Matters between Kings are always complicated," Seri deadpanned as she pulled out her cell phone, quickly sending a message out to whomever, "I just asked if anyone has seen the Silver King, I've told everyone to answer their phones no matter what they're doing so we should know shortly."

"Oh, sorry to keep you two waiting, I've just been watching from up here," came a loud voice that sounded from above, both Kings looked up simultaneously. Weismann and his two clansmen floated down from the open space above them, they hit the ground a bit roughly but the First King just laughed it off, "it's been awhile, that's going to take some time to get used too."

"So you heard everything, right?" Munakata asked as he adjusted his glasses, nodding at the Black Dog as if they were old friends. Neko merely hissed when Suoh glanced over at her. _Don't worry cat, I feel the same way,_ he thought as he remembered how hard the Strain had tried to have him killed.

"Yes, I did. We should get a move on, I trust that our clansmen can handle the situation here." Weismann announced as he pried a very reluctant looking Neko off of him," Kuroh, Neko, please assist the others in keeping things in order here. We have some business we need to take care of with the Green King."

"But Shiroooooo," the girl whined with a frown, something that was easily erased when the First King patted her on the head.

"I leave this to you, please stay safe," _Shiro_ announced as the Black Dog dragged the young female away from the Kings, mumbling something under his breath about how he had _business to settle_ with a certain Jungle Clansmen.

"Shall we go?" Reisi suggested as he spared his companions a glance, silence met his ears but the other two nodded their heads nonetheless. "Ms. Awashima please take care of things here, you're in charge while I'm away."

"Sir!" The blond woman answered with a salute before she began to turn and walk away, Mikoto called out after her.

"Make sure Izumo keeps things in check, will ya'?"

She blushed slightly as she nodded her head, "we will handle this, just stop Hisui Nagare."

"I guess we have to put all our faith in them," Weismann announced as the two other Kings called off their auras, the sound of weapons clashing could be heard almost immediately after, "so it's begun."

"Ah, they will be able to handle this," Suoh commented as he approached the railing that they were standing next too, it was only a three story drop, and below him he could see the clans engaging in battle, colors flying in the air like some sort of deadly light show. "Let's go," he commanded as he hopped over the railing, not waiting for the other two to join up with him though he knew they would. Their plan was out the window, whether or not Nagare knew how many Kings he would be dealing with no longer mattered. If something happened to the Dresden Slate nothing would matter anymore.

Clansmen from all sides jumped when his feet hit the floor beneath him, his Aura glowed daringly as he stalked through the crowd, easily repelling anyone who stood in his way. Behind him he heard Munakata walking to his left and _Shiro_ to his right, phone screens were held out in their direction as Jungle members tried to get readings on them.

"Suoh Mikoto, 100,000 Points!"

"Reisi Munakata, 100,000 Points!"

"Adolf K. Weismann, 100,000 Points!"

"Kings, welcome to the Jungle!"

They blasted their way through the crowds until they emerged on the outside of the building, shooting down any stray clansmen that had yet to find their way inside, "what's the best way to Mihashira Tower?" Weismann asked as he stared up at the sunny sky above them, holding his hand over his eyes to shield them from the blinding light.

"We could take the car but it would be at least ten minutes," Munakata answered as he waved over to one of the vehicles that was marked with Scepter4's logo.

"Or, we could travel my way," the white haired man chuckled as he extended his hand, his parasol was slung over his shoulder, "you're not afraid of heights, right?"

Suoh smirked as he pondered the idea being offered to him, in the end he caved in, allowing the First King to take his hand momentarily while he focused on holding in his own Aura per the white haired man's request. It wasn't an easy process, his Aura screamed at him to return to the earth, not at all liking the way the First King's power controlled his motion from where they hovered in the air. The look on Munakata's face was practically priceless.

"Afraid of heights?"

"No, but not being in control is frightening in itself."

Mikoto rolled his eyes as he relaxed, taking in the sight of Tokyo from where they were in the sky. They moved quickly, much faster than they would've if they had opted to drive, even with lights and sirens blazing. When their feet hit the ground again they all let out a small sigh of relief as they stood before the building that was Mihashira Tower. The Blues who guarded the place were unharmed for the most part but knocked out cold, having stood no chance at taking on the Green King and whomever else might have arrived with him.

"So, you ready to move in?" Munakata asked as they stood before the front doors of the tower, determination being the only emotion that shone in their eyes.

"Ah," Suoh smirked as he stuck his hands in his pockets, following in after the Blue King as he led them down a long corridor that led to a huge flight of stairs, the spiral staircase glimmered as if it was soaked in gold. Not chancing riding the elevator they jumped from ledge to ledge to climb to the top of the tower, it took too much time for their liking but it was a lot safer than trusting the hijacked electricity in the building.

When they reached the top floor Munakata halted their advance, the only thing separating them from the Dresden Slate was a pair of thick golden colored doors that were decorated with blue accents, behind them could be a large number of things. "How many do you think are in there?" Weismann asked as he tilted his head to the side, a hint of nervousness shifted across his face though Suoh felt it was more out of the fact he was about to see the very slate he had discovered all those years ago.

"Who knows, let's just end this as quickly and efficiently as possible," Reisi announced as he pushed the door open with ease, a bit surprised that the door budged as easily as it did. They entered the room cautiously, in a triangular formation that saw the Blue King front and center with Suoh to his left and Shiro to his right. The Red King expected to be bombarded when they entered but to his surprise there was only one man in the room, a man that wore a smirk as crooked and wicked as he remembered it to be. He stepped forward.

"It's been awhile hasn't it, Nagare?"

0o0o0o

Saruhiko reluctantly turned his attention from Yata in focus of pursuit of a higher ranking Jungle Clansmen. He followed the man down a long corridor on the second floor, hot on his heels before the man sunk into the far wall, _the Green Clan's trademark, huh? I've got to keep my guard up,_ he thought as he halted in his place, one hand held his sword, the other knives that glowed red, a duller crimson than the flames HOMRA used now but still enough to create havoc.

He clicked his tongue as he waited impatiently, hoping said clansmen would emerge from the wall and charge at him but instead the hallway was quiet, too quiet for his liking. He heard the familiar sounds of weapons clashing and shouts that came from the first floor, it sent adrenaline rushing into his veins, he was eager to get back into the fray and seeing as his opponent left him hanging high and dry he abandoned his pursuit. Stalking back down the walkway he was about to descend from a ledge when he saw a blur of green across the other end of the second story, the same clansmen he had been chasing emerged, dashing down the hallway again.

"Dammit, stay still and fight me!" He howled as he took off after him, choosing to jump over the large gap in the floor until he was on the other side, he quickly followed after the man, knives heating up in his hands as he threw them after him in blind fury. _Stop running, you coward._

As he turned down a more narrow end of the hallway his opponent came into view, standing on the far end of the corridor with his arms crossed, his face was hidden by the typical mask Jungle members used. "You're mine now!"

As soon as he lifted his sword he felt an overwhelming sense of dread fall over him, freezing in place he watched as the walls around him morphed, fifteen high level clansmen had him cornered, far out of helps way and in a secluded area of the second story. He smirked, knowing his foolishness had gotten him into such a situation but his mind felt duller than it usually did. His sharp wit and quick thinking felt fogged, he hadn't even considered a trap being a possibility.

"I underestimated you," he laughed as he crossed his sword and knives across his chest, a defensive stance being the only thing he could manage in the moment. "Come on, if you're gonna fight me then do it."

Accepting the situation was the first step to attempting to get out of it, he noted as he threw a few knives in his original opponent's direction, he simultaneously sent a shock wave of red and blue flying around him, diminishing the bullets that Jungle members shot at him. _Guns? How tedious._

He did his best to repel the relentless assault, even managed to cut the numbers down by five but eventually it became a great task just to shield himself from the gunfire that rained down on him. He stood defensively as he was backed into a corner, throwing up a barrier on all sides as he fought to keep his Auras concentrated, a few bullets managed to break past him, one grazing his leg, the other burying itself in his forearm. He hissed when it broke out of the back of his skin, red and blue enveloped him, two conflicting colors that begun to run together, turning purple as his shield faltered. _Am I really going to die such an undignified death?_

"Get out of my way!"

Saruhiko's eyes widened when a flash of burning red pierced his vision, flames shot down the hallway in record timing as the person he least expected to save his life made his way down the isle, baseball bat left behind in favor of a metal pole that glowed as hot as lava. _Well I'll be damned._

Yata's flames smoldered the metal guns that Jungle members relied on, causing them to be dropped on the ground while some screamed out of agony as melted metal seeped onto the fingers, those who still had bullets in the chambers dealt with explosions searing away their skin and digits. Some fled at that time, others stayed, facing Yata by ducking in and out of the walls, he watched the skateboarder predict where they would emerge with inquisitive eyes, awestruck at how much stronger his Aura looked. How much hotter it burned than the one that pulsed throughout his own body.

"If you can't even look me in the eyes," Misaki hissed as he stuck the metal rod he had in his hand through a wall, it ripped into the side of one of his opponents, dragging him out of the structure, "then you're not even worth my time!"

Saruhiko bit his lip when the last of the Jungle clansmen fled the scene, it was only then that the purple light that surrounded him disintegrated, he felt blood pour down his arm as he let it fall to his side. Yata flipped his skateboard up into his hand, the metal rod he used as a weapon was slung over his shoulder though it still glowed red hot in the now dimly lit hallway, the lights having given out long ago.

"You okay, Monkey?"

He could only nod his head and sheathe his sword, his hang stinging in agony as he strained the fresh wound he had received. "When did you Aura start to look like that?" He questioned as his well trained eyes watched the blood red color pulsate around it's wielder, Yata looked at him out of confusion.

"What do you mean? Doesn't it look the same?"

Saruhiko laughed as he walked forward, hand resting on the hilt of his sword while he cradled his injured arm to his chest, he flipped his sword hand over, exposing a set of burn scars to the slightly younger man. "Your King gave me these when you left the room on that day," he announced as he watched shock settle in on Yata's face. "Your clan's fire has burned hotter than it ever has, how do you not notice that you've changed a lot since then?"

"I never paid attention to it," Misaki mumbled as he scratched at his HOMRA marking, Fushimi felt his begin to burn lightly as well, in his head he could feel the power of the Blue Aura his King wielded being exerted. "Guess the real battle has begun, we should get going."

"Yeah," Saruhiko answered as he followed the shorter man down the hallway, scowling when the pain in his arm intensified.

"Let me cauterize that for you," Yata said as he stopped in his tracks, "I might not be as good at it as Mikoto-san is but I'll try."

"I can do it myself," Saruhiko commented but when he tried to call forth the Red Aura it came out as a weak spark of light, _damn, we've drawn too much power from the Slate._ His Blue Aura wasn't much better. He gave into Yata's prying and offered up his injured limb, wincing when a bright fire smoldered at the younger man's fingertips. "How the hell can you still drawl that out? Mine feel dull after all this exertion, we've been fighting for over two hours."

"I don't know, I've been in the midst of things just as much as anyone, everyone seems wore out but I still feel ready to go," Misaki answered as he channeled the flames down, gently pressing two fingers to the wound as he sent smoldering waves of heat into the place the bullet pierced. Saruhiko hissed as his skin seared, though the blood flow did halt in it's place. "Sorry, I did my best to make it as clean as possible."

He studied the brunette's face, the look of concentration that fell over it as he repeated the notion on the exit wound on the opposite side of his arm, the bullet had not entered at a straight angle but crooked, meaning the exit wound was at an angle that needed to be tended to all on it's own. Fushimi cursed under his breath as the red hot Aura seeped in under his skin. "Jungle has been subdued downstairs," the skateboarder announced as he leaned up, it was then that Saruhiko saw the notification on his watches projector.

"Took them long enough," he hissed as he and the younger man started down a staircase that led to the first floor. Members of Scepter4 worked to tend to their own injuries while members of HOMRA took care of their own, no one bothered with the injured members of Jungle, other than to put them in cuffs. He couldn't blame them for that, he didn't want them to receive any help either. For a moment he pondered whether or not he should tell Misaki about Aya but he decided against it, deeming it wasn't the time nor the place for such a conversation, he didn't really want to talk about it either. It was still a lot to come to terms with.

Instead he stopped walking and choose to watch everyone around him, the wounded and the exhausted people in the area paid him no mind as he stared fixedly ahead of him.

Yata walked away from him then, while everyone else in the room seemed completely exhausted and drained of energy fire still licked the soles of the skateboarder's feet, something that seemed all too familiar to his trained eyes. The Blue Aura inside him became restless, longing to reach out and smother those glistering flames. He bit his lip, eyes widening as he gripped onto his sword, just a bit tighter than usual.

 _Could that...be our destiny...Misaki? But how..._


	12. Kaleidoscope

**-April 2nd, 2013  
Mihashira Tower  
9:50 A.M**

"I'd like to say this has been a pleasant surprise but I thought you'd be in on this too, Weismann. That and this situation is anything but pleasant I'm afraid," Nagare hissed as the group approached him, his eyes narrowed when they locked onto Mikoto's. "Red King, I had hoped you and I could settle things on the same side, I'm very disappointed that you have aligned yourself with these two, is there any chance I can convince you to switch allegiances?"

"Think I'll pass, Nagare." Suoh answered as he removed his hands from his pockets, every Aura in the room ignited, shining brightly as they stood on the Slate, contact with the stone giving each of them even more power than they could truly contain. "The days of us getting along have long since passed."

"You know this man personally?" Munakata questioned as he adjusted his glasses, eyes flitting between the two Kings in question.

"At one time the Red King and I had often engaged in casual conversation, it's easy to see why so many people flock to you. You're quite the charmer, compared to these two you and I are much more alike. We crave power and people follow us blindly, seeing nothing but our strength and the things we can provide for them. You put a little more effort into relations than I do but we truly are cut from the same cloth," Hisui smirked.

"Hardly, you think everything is a game," Suoh replied wistfully as he let out a shuddered breath, "Nagare, is there any way we can convince you to stop this?"

"Red King you should know me better than that," the wicked grin that was sent his way caused his Aura to burn even hotter, "this is nothing but a game. My clansmen are all players, pawns, and here I have the very pieces I have sought out for so long. In chess the king is useless, leaving the queen to do his bidding and protect him, but he remains the strongest force in the game because of his title. While you all stand before me, relaxed and waiting for me, the opposing King, to make a move your knights and queens move about to meet mine in battle. Take them out and the king is leftovers, useless even," Nagare's eyes glowed a deep green as he reached up to tap a button on his laptop. "Checkmate."

Suoh glanced at the other two Kings he was aligned with out of sheer confusion when nothing happened, though on the other side of the room the Green King cackled.

"Green King, Hisui Nagare, what exactly are you playing at?" Reisi asked as he strode forward, a clearly unamused look on his face as he cut the distance between him and the man in the wheelchair by half.

"Would you like to see?" The man laughed as he pressed another key on his laptop, bringing up a projector that showed the hotel they had just left up in smoke. Burning and crumbling as debris churned in the sky, their hearts sunk at the sight.

"Damn you Nagare, your people were in there! How could you do that to your own clansmen?" Munakata growled as he unsheathed his sword, pointing it at the man behind the screen. Mikoto held his fists up, anger boiling under his skin as the image that was being displayed evaporated, he cursed under his breath, hoping that everyone, even the annoying Blues and Silver Clansmen managed to escape unharmed.

"Please do you honestly think I care about those pawns? My people are here in this building, waiting for my signal to move in and finish off the remnants at the hotel. Weismann don't worry too much about Neko, I have ordered for her to be brought back here. I have a strong interest in that Strain, she could prove useful after all. As for your dear friend Kuroh Yatogami...well...I cannot make any promises." Nagare paused before pressing another button on his computer, "Sakuna, Yukari please move in. Tenkei keep me updated on any new developments and send Kotosaka to that building, I want eyes all over that place."

"Sir."

"Aye, Nagare-chan."

"Finally!"

"That's it, I don't know about you but I have lost my patience," Suoh grumbled as his Aura swelled around him, "you've messed with the wrong person, Nagare."

"Damage to the slate would be an unfortunate event, wouldn't it?" Hisui asked with a tilt of his head, the Red King glanced down at the artifact under his feet with a look of understanding.

"So that is why you chose to come here, knowing we could not fight you while we were in this room," Shiro exclaimed as he extended his parasol, "it appears you have had the upper hand this entire time."

"Part of playing a game is about having good strategy, I saw your moves before you even lifted a finger. Do you think I hadn't predicted all of this? You wound me," the Green King feigned offense as he relaxed in his wheelchair.

"What do you want, Nagare?" Suoh hissed as he neutralized his Aura, fearing that should he let it explode that the very slate that gave him power would rupture and break.

"Honestly I want control of this tower and the slate, but I have a feeling the Blue King would rather die than hand these over to me, he explained with a click of his tongue, eyes lighting up when Reisi glared at him. "So I will watch you suffer instead, your hands are tied here. I will pull your clansmen apart, limb by limb, and you can watch it all as I always have too, from behind this very screen."

"They're plenty strong enough to handle any people you send for them," Reisi announced as he lowered his sword, if only a little, "do not underestimate us so."

"You're thinking of going back for them aren't you? Going to make sure they survive this is a noble cause but I will not allow you to do such a thing."

"You have nothing to offer us and you will not hurt the slate," Mikoto commented as he continued to walk forward until he stood next to the Blue King, "you would not let go of your own power so easily."

"I see, so you think I'm afraid of losing my power," Nagare chuckled to himself, "what will you do, Red King?"

"Suoh, Weismann, shield the Dresden Slate," Munakata commanded as he poised his sword at the ready, "allow me to fight him. Just focus on protecting the slate, no matter what the cost is."

"Oh? You've come up with a plan of your own have you?" Hisui smirked as a wave of green, almost mimicking vines, sprawled out from under him and shot across the floor. Mikoto and Weismann stamped their feet on the floor simultaneously, sending rays of silver and red to meet the oncoming wave of power that diminished in strength when it hit Munakata's feet, the rest sizzled out before it could cover the ground. "You intend to fight me one on one while these two protect the Dresden Slate, I'll admit I'm surprised someone like you could come up with such a plan but don't think that this hasn't been accounted for."

"Your intellect knows no bounds, you are man of genius and wit but let us see if you fight like you think," Reisi countered as his Aura swelled around the hilt of sword, slowly covering the length of the blade. Mikoto and Shiro formed a barrier around the stone in the center of the floor, shielding themselves and the ancient artifact from harm, leaving the Blue King and Green King alone outside the shield.

Suoh gritted his teeth.

I'm not used to being on the defensive but we don't have any other choice. Munakata...the fate of our clans lies in your hands...so don't screw this up.

0o0o0o0o

 **Hotel Lobby  
10:15 A.m**

"Get back, everyone get back!" Izumo screamed over the loud explosions that rang throughout the building, Yata stood with his back to the bartender's, Seri and Saruhiko stood beside them in a similar fashion as they projected their Auras to build a barrier around their clans. Some members of Jungle included. "We need to get out of here, now."

"Red and Blue Clansmen, two of Jungle's highest ranking clansmen are moving in on us, I will handle the man with a sword, are any of you capable of fighting the younger of the two?" Kuroh asked as he approached their barrier, himself and Neko were shrouded in an orb of silver.

"Leave that one to me, Kusanagi-san," Yata proclaimed as he glanced back at HOMRA's strategist, "I'm still ready for a fight."

"Allow me to help as well, I owe you one I guess," Saruhiko grumbled the last words under his breath.

"Absolutely not Fushimi, you're injured an-"

"Seri-chan if the boys want to work together and fight then let 'em, we are needed here to make sure everyone evacuates." Izumo smiled apologetically at her for cutting her off, though she still looked the slightest bit displeased she reluctantly agreed. "Go with the Black Dog and finish this fight, we're counting on ya'."

"You got it, Kusanagi-san," Yata smiled as he grabbed his skateboard and the metal pole that was attached to his belt loop, "Kamamoto, help them out while the Monkey and I handle things."

"S-sure, Yata-san!"

"Let's go," Kuroh announced as he and Neko worked with them to shield themselves from the crumbling building as they approached the now broken down glass doors, once their feet hit the pavement outside Neko pointed upward. Above them flew a green parrot, one that both Yata and Saruhiko recognized as being the one they had seen when they had worked to hack into Jungle several months back. "Ignore it, it's only here so the Green King can watch what happens."

"So that's the Green King's medium?" Saruhiko asked with a click of his tongue, "so that's the bastard that attacked me."

"We've got company," Kuroh stated as he rested his hand on his sword, the two approaching Jungle clansmen froze in their tracks, "Neko, let us handle this. Intervene only if something goes poorly."

"But Kurosuke, I want to fight too!" The girl whined but was silenced when a deep chuckle erupted from the older of the two Green Clansman's throat. She reluctantly backed away, placing a good amount of distance between her and the other five people who stood in front of the building. Pedestrians were nowhere in sight thanks to the block being shut off from the rest of the city, so any chance of harming civilians was practically nonexistent, leaving no excuses not to battle it out in the middle of Shizume.

"Kuroh, it has been too long," Yukari exclaimed with a wave of his hand, "allow us to settle things, yes?"

"Yes, let's do just that," the Black Dog replied as he drew his sword, aiming it at the other man as he began to unsheathe his.

"Sakuna, entertain those two, will you?"

"This should be fun," the young man smiled as he brandished a dark black rod, from the top a green scythe made of his Aura extended outward threateningly.

"You ready, Saru?" Yata asked as he flipped his skateboard onto the ground, the metal rod in his hands glowed hotter than magma.

"Yeah, let's end this," Fushimi answered as he drew his sword, ignoring the sharp singing pain that ripped through his arm at the notion, beside them the Black Dog and the man named Yukari began their duel.

"Whenever you're ready come and get it," Yata called out as he extended the hot metal pole that rested in his hands, Sakuna wasted no time in taking him up on that offer. His scythe collided with Misaki's weapon in an array of colors, Saruhiko took that opportunity to let out a few of his knives, sending them flying towards the Jungle clansmen who managed to break the deadlock he was in and spin the scythe around to deflect the blades that hurdled towards him.

This time Fushimi rushed him, sword poking and swinging in the air as if his arm didn't feel read to give out as he matched every movement the young boy threw his way, Yata in the meantime spun on his skateboard, a trail of smoke filtered in the air as flames whipped around the wheels of his favorite secondary weapon. Eventually the pillar of fire grew until it towered in the air like a fearsome tornado made of burning hot flames, as soon as Saruhiko had the younger man in another deadlock he locked eyes with Yata, seeing through his Aura.

"Now Misaki!" He yelled as he was pushed back several feet, his focus shifting elsewhere as his arm threatened to give out on him, the skateboarder shot him a confused look.

"Move out of the way first!" He shouted back, horror written on his face when Saruhiko sent him a knowing look. Sakuna was stronger than his appearance would let on, he seemed annoyed at their conversation but worry shone in his eyes as he didn't dare turn around and see what was in store for him, Fushimi wouldn't allow that as he threatened to slice him into two should his focus slip from the task at hand. They had the younger man cornered, Saruhiko wouldn't let the opportunity pass up.

"Misaki do it!"

"B-but you'r-"

"Trust me!" He screeched out of frustration, not fully realizing the irony in his words in the moment though they echoed in his head as he watched Yata's face contort into determination with the slightest hint of fear, with a noise that could only be described as a battle cry he slid out of the fire tornado he had created and hopped off his skateboard, his Aura covered his leg before he practically kicked the swirling pit of flames towards them. Saruhiko chose to duck then, sending knives flying at the Green Clansmen's feet so he was pinned between the Blue Aura radiating off of his sword and the Red Aura that pulsated from the knives, Sakuna was trapped, just like they had wanted.

Yata's Aura crashed into them moments later, sending Saruhiko flying backwards as the flames slammed him into the opposing wall of another building. Sakuna who had taken the brunt of the attack was sprawled out on the ground, his scythe well out of reach as the Red Clansmen encircled him on his skateboard, flames forming another twister that saw the younger man trapped in the pulsating fire. A yelp of pain could be heard when Misaki put the flames out, leaving the younger man singed, his Aura glowed weakly around him. "Had enough?"

"Y-you'd h-hurt yo-your own c-comrade?" The Jungle member chuckled darkly, voice heavily laced with the sound of agony, "y-you're j-ju-just like N-Nagare."

"Fuck you, don't compare me to that bastard!" Yata exclaimed harshly as he grabbed a pair of handcuffs from his pocket, leftovers from when he had helped contain certain members of Jungle before the explosions had shaken the building's foundation. "Neko, don't just stand there, contain him for me, will ya'?"

"Sure!" The Strain chirped all too happily as she rushed to his side, hands extending outward as she sealed their opponent in an orb of silver, once he was secured Yata pushed himself over to the wall Fushimi was halfway imbedded in, a frown pulled on his lips.

"'m Fine," the Blue Clansmen hissed as he weakly pushed himself off of the wall, to his surprise he had no burns in sight but the way he had slammed into the wall hadn't done him any favors.

"It's thanks to you that we managed to make that confrontation simple," Misaki said as he wasted no time in helping Saruhiko back onto his feet, even then he didn't let go, instead choosing to throw one of his arms around his waist as he helped drag him to front of the building. Saruhiko hadn't even realized just how far he been pushed back.

"Where's the Black Dog?" Fushimi questioned as he hissed in pain as his arm contorted awkwardly between himself and Yata, who immediately mumbled an apology.

"Dunno, he and that other guy took off, I'm sure he'll be all right."

"Oi, you two, over here!"

Both of them turned their heads to look down a small back alley that wrapped around the side of the hotel, Izumo and Seri stood there with relieved expressions on their faces.

"We contained one of them but the Black Dog is still fighting that other guy somewhere else," Yata proclaimed as the duo approached them, "did you manage to get everyone out safely?"

"Yeah, no casualties on our side or the Blues, sad to say a few members of Jungle weren't so lucky. A lot of people fled before the explosions took place and those we hadn't moved to the vehicles...well the police will deal with that." Izumo explained as he shot Fushimi a funny look, "Seri-chan, let me escort this Green Clansmen to a containment vehicle, see that he gets some medical attention."

"I'm fine," Saruhiko groaned though the look the other three gave him threatened to say otherwise, he eventually caved in, allowing Misaki to drag him to one of their medical units. Seri saw that they arrived safely before going back to work on containing and handling the situation. They sat in silence as the medical staff looked him over, saying his Aura must have prevented bodily harm when Yata's attack hit him, in the end they had overpowered the Green Clansmen Sakuna but he felt like the fight had been almost too easy. Like his opponent's mind had been preoccupied with other things but then again, it probably was.

"Other than some cuts, scrapes and that bullet wound you're fine," Benzai mumbled quietly as he sat down a stack of papers on the opposing side of the van, "just take it easy, we'll handle things from here."

Moments later Yata and Fushimi were the only ones left in the van and the tension had grown thick enough to cut it with a knife. Both of them were preoccupied with their own thoughts, neither knowing that the other was worrying about his respective King just as much as the other one was.

It was quiet for quite some time after that, but in that amount of time Saruhiko grew tired of the silence and decided to drop the bomb he had been carrying around with him for months, not caring if the situation was the right time to do it.

"Aya Oogai is dead."

0o0o0o0o

 **Mihashira Tower  
10:35 A.M**

Mikoto watched the vines of the Green Aura sink into Munakata's arm, literally shattering his shield and skin like it was made of paper, but what came after was more unexpected. The Blue King sunk his sword into the vines, sending a shock wave of blue straight back to the Green King who could only watch as it collided with his own barrier, successfully breaking through as it slashed at him, blood spewed into the area where it struck. Suoh cursed under his breath as he regained control of his own Aura, refocusing his power onto the wall he and the First King made to shield the slate from the battle.

Reisi didn't seem bothered by the wounds that seeped a deep crimson, in fact he looked at them as if he was making a mental note of how it happened, seeing as he had never fought Nagare before it had been foolish of him to think he would escape unharmed, though the Red King doubted he thought that in the first place. The projector from the laptop in the room lit up, showcasing a particularly grueling battle that was going on between a member of Jungle and Saruhiko, Mikoto stared at the funnel of fire that cascaded into the top of the screen, he felt his heart rise to his throat when it was released. Crashing into the two dueling on screen and sending them flying backwards, it was then that aggressor came into view.

So you're safe after all...Yata.

"That boy is quite a nuisance, both he and Fushimi are actually," Nagare laughed as he returned the attention to his opponents, "it's like watching you two in a mirror. They work well together, poor Sakuna didn't stand a chance."

"You sound troubled by this," Weismann exclaimed as he studied the Green King's changing expression with a frown, "is he someone important to you?"

"That is none of your concern," Nagare hissed in response, something that brought a smirk to Mikoto's face.

"It would be a shame if he was slayed, don't you think?"

"What did you just say?" Hisui growled, eyes glowing daringly in the Third King's direction.

"Why don't you give your clansmen a call and tell them to execute all high ranking clansmen, Suoh? I wouldn't put it past your lot and besides, it's only fair seeing as they've caused us this much trouble." Munakata laughed, a sound twisted and dark even for him as he spoke of their execution as if he was speaking of the weather.

"Good idea," he called back with a knowing look as he shifted his stance so his left arm held up his end of the barrier, leaving his right hand free to pick his phone out of his pocket. "How would you like for them to be slain, Green King? Slowly and painfully is what I'm inclined to say," he said with his usual bored tone of voice, "after all you've done this is what they deserve."

"Sakuna will not be defeated so easily, nor will Yukari, do not underestimate my clansmen," Nagare seethed as his eyes flitted back towards the screen, widening a bit when he saw Yata slap a pair of cuffs on his clansman's arms. He pushed a button on his laptop then, shifting to an aerial camera angle that saw the Black Dog and the man named Yukari engaged in heated combat, though the Silver Clansmen looked a little worse for wear it was apparent that he was currently winning his duel, his movements screamed of confidence as he blocked everything the other man threw at him before striking with precision, sending the elder male flying out of the camera's view. He pressed another button.

"Tenkei, tell Yukari to fall back for now," Nagare insisted as he kept his eyes trained on the screen ahead of him. The other Kings looked at each other in understanding.

This is why you don't mess with people's lives Suoh thought as he studied Hisui's worried expression.

"Nagare, Sakuna has been captured, should I make a move to retrieve him?"

Said man looked conflicted.

"Tell you what Nagare," Mikoto commented as he held his cell phone up for show, "you stop this now and we won't kill your friends, how's that sound?"

"Kill him if you must, I am looking at the bigger picture."

Now that hadn't been what he was expecting to hear.

"The bigger picture is death for you, keep this up and I will have no choice but to use lethal force," Munakata warned as he pointed his sword at the man in the wheelchair, "I'm done waiting for you to make up your mind. Your forces are done for, we are clearly the victors here. If you manage to kill me you will have the immortal King and the Red King left to deal with. Not even you would stand a chance."

"Tenkei take Yukari and head back to base, we have no other choice at the moment." Nagare sighed as he cut off his connections with the outside world, his undivided attention falling back to the Kings in front of him.

"Is that an order for a retreat? Are you abandoning your endeavor?" Reisi asked in need of clarification as he honed his Aura into his blade, just in case things didn't go the way he hoped.

"Wrong, this is now a battle between Kings, should you all fall then your clansmen will have not won anything, not every pawn has to fall for a King to be put into checkmate." Hisui smirked as he sent a flurry of raging vines forward, hitting not only the Blue Aura but the other King's Auras as well, though the effort was in vain, it was a bold move of defiance. "I will not bow to the likes of you, this is a fight to the death."

"This is your final chance to surrender, I will not go easy on you," Munakata boomed as he took on an offensive stance, Mikoto eyed the pool of blood on the floor as the substance continued to drip down the Blue King's arm.

"I don't expect you too, give it everything you've got, Reisi Munakata."

Suoh watched on as the two of them clashed again, this time the movements were faster and hard to keep up with but with every blow and every strike that was exchanged there was nothing being held back. His usually bored looking eyes glowed with interest as he saw Munakata slice the Green Aura to shreds as he advanced to close the remaining distance between him and the other King.

Nagare wouldn't be so easily beaten, he continued to push his Aura onward, meeting the Blue Aura every time the colors flew in the air. When Reisi was in striking distance with his sword it was then that the Green King smiled, a wicked grin that made him look the true depiction of evil, what came afterward was something Munakata seemed to have predicted because as the Green King sunk into the floor he threw up a barrier around himself to shield himself from any surprise attack that would result thereafter. For a moment, the room was dead silent. Hisui Nagare was nowhere in sight.

Like something out of a bad horror movie the Green King reappeared just feet away from the Blue King, Aura pulsating into a makeshift spear-like weapon as it launched itself at the shield of light that surrounded the other King, Mikoto felt his eyes widen at the familiar scene. Just when he thought things couldn't be more coincidental Munakata turned, though the Red King didn't see it like that in that moment. Instead he saw himself in his comrade's shoes, face to face with a young girl who he learned was named Aya Oogai, and when the Blue King's sword pierced the skin of Hisui Nagare's chest the blood spilled out of him the same way it had when it had been his clansmen.

There was a noise of shock that escaped the Green King's throat as he stared down at the blade that was buried in his abdomen, blood soaked Munakata's sword hand though he didn't seem phased by it at the time. The Blue King Drove his sword the rest of the way in, filling the air with a cracking sound as bones broke and gave way to the blade he wielded, the leader of Jungle looked up at them in shock, his Aura bursting into a thousand pieces as a dull glow encased his body.

When Reisi ripped the sword free from the other man's chest blood splattered against the dark blue coat he always wore, the rest seeped down from the stab wound in the other King's chest, more dripped down from the corners of his mouth. Suoh felt like his stomach churn at the similarities between the situation and the one he had been in all those months ago.

Hisui Nagare slumped in his chair, eyes slowly closing as he mumbled under his breath, words so faint Mikoto had to strain his ears to hear them. "I guess I n-never ha-had the u-upper hand..."

"Is he...dead?" Weismann asked with wide eyes as he stared at the scene before them, the slate at their feet did not so much as glow.

"No, I didn't aim for anything vital, just a spot that would cause him enough pain to be subdued, I'm placing him under arrest and from there we will find a way best to execute him. He does not have the right to live after all the harm he caused but he also do-"

A rumble shook the building before the rest of the words could be spoken, while their attention was drawn elsewhere a pair of hands snaked their way out of the ground, wrapping around the wheelchair the Green King used, he began to sink into the floor of the building. Before any of them could even lift a finger he was out of sight, no one else moved in after them and none of them spoke as the initial shock wore off.

"I suppose his clansmen couldn't follow his orders after all," Munakata grunted as he sheathed his sword, not even bothering to wipe the blood off of the blade. "What a pity."

"Well hopefully he has learned a valuable lesson," Weismann commented as he let his Aura break, silver sparks cascaded from where the barrier had once stood. "I don't think Hisui Nagare will be this foolish in the future."

"We can only hope that is the case, Suoh, Weismann, I think it's safe to say this mission has been a success. Please return to your clansmen, I will not leave the slate unattended but I will inform my clansmen that I am all right."

"All right? Cut the crap, your arm looks like it's been put in a meat shredder," Mikoto commented as he called off his Aura, his usual look of disinterest returned to his face as the adrenaline rush faded away.

"I'm fine, there is no need to worry about it," Munakata said happily as he glanced over at the Third King.

Yeah I wasn't worried... Suoh wanted to say but stopped himself from doing so, instead he turned on his heel and headed towards the thick gold and blue doors that were the only way in and out of the room, Weismann followed him closely. He spared one final glance back at Reisi Munakata before he pushed the doors open, eager to get back to his clansmen so they could finally call it a day.

I could really use a nap...

0o0o0o

"She was killed on the day Jungle attacked?" Yata asked Saruhiko as a look of understanding swept over his features, he did his best to hide the shock he felt at the new found information he had received.

"Yeah, she was the only casualty."

The skateboarders eyes grew wide.

Only casualty on that day? That means... he glanced over at his ex, noting how no malice surfaced on his face which led him to believe he was still oblivious to how it had happened. If he knew Mikoto killed her...no, she tried to kill him first. He was protecting himself, don't think like that, he forced himself to repeat the sentiment over and over again. He believed the Red King's story, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that had been what really happened but his stomach churned nonetheless.

Aya is dead...Saruhiko's only true family member is gone...

"I remember the day we tried to send a signal to the Himmelreich," Misaki whispered sadly as he relaxed onto the cold medical table he was seated on across from Saruhiko, he brought his knees to his chest. "Even though so much happened on that day...I had a lot of fun."

"Yeah," Fushimi mumbled as he stared up at the light fixtures on the roof of the van, "so did I."

"I'm sorry, Saru."

"Don't be sorry, there's no sense in it at this point," Said man sighed as he closed his eyes, eyebrows knitting together out of frustration. "She was your friend at one point too, I...I'm sorry I didn't mention this sooner."

"No, don't be, this must have been a lot for you to deal with," the brunette replied with a frown.

"I've had some assistance, I guess," the Blue Clansmen answered with a click of his tongue, "the Captain has been surprisingly helpful."

"I'm glad you haven't had to go through this alone, then." And Yata meant that, he saw the way his old friend's features changed at the mention of the Blue King, it was subtle but it was something he had noticed long before they had ever known anything about clans and Kings. Back when things had been a lot simpler for them. "So...you and the Blue King, huh?"

"What?" Fushimi deadpanned as he scowled at the other man who only chuckled weakly in response, "what I do is none of your business."

"Shouldn't you say 'who I do is none of your business'?" Misaki cackled when his companion pulled a knife out from under his sleeve, "chill, I was just joking." No I wasn't.

"I had something I needed to tell you but," Fushimi paused as he pulled his vibrating cellphone out of his pocket, checking his messages with a sigh of relief, "your King is on his way back here."

"Mikoto-san is all right?" Yata exclaimed excitedly as he tried to change the topic, though after hearing about Aya's passing it was a bit hard for him to keep his mind on any one subject that didn't involve old memories that he felt were better left in the past.

"Yeah, everyone is fine. Hisui Nagare managed to escape but they're all fine, the Captain is waiting at Mihashira Tower for backup to arrive and then he will handle the rest." Saruhiko paused as he got a text message, Yata on the other hand stood up and hovered behind him, looking over his shoulder much to the other man's dismay.

 **From: Captain Reisi Munakata**

 **Everything is fine so try not to worry. Seri tells me you've been injured again...I thought I told you that part of becoming more like a leader meant taking less risks. Still, she said it was superficial at best, I would continue to preach about injuries but I've managed to get a few myself. Worry not, everything is fine and this battle is over. I'm proud of what you accomplished today.**

"Good god he texts like talks," Misaki giggled as he chose to ignore the way Saruhiko told him to shut his fucking mouth, being polite had never been one of the Blue Clansman's personality traits. "Well Saru, I guess I better get back."

"Yeah," said man answered with a sigh, "we're even now, right?"

"Mhm, we're even," the brunette confirmed as he turned to hop out of the van, he stopped when he heard his name being called quietly. "Yeah?"

"There's something I'm going to tell you but it might take me some time to say it, if you ever get a text from me then you'll know what it is."

"You'd willingly text me?" Yata gawked as he looked back at the dark haired man, Saruhiko sent him a small smile, something so completely out of character that it sent chills down his spine.

"After all of this I think I owe it to you."

The skateboarder nodded his head in understanding, "well when the day comes I'm all ears. See ya later...Saruhiko."

"Yeah, see you."

Yata hopped out of the van then, grabbing his skateboard from outside the vehicle he quickly made his way to where his fellow clansmen were loitering around, he was relieved to see most of them were unharmed for the most part, minus a few cuts and scrapes. "Hey guys," he exclaimed as he came to halt in front of Anna and Tatara who smiled at him in return.

"How's he doing?" Izumo asked as he took a drag off of his cigarette, eyes half lidded out of exhaustion and what the younger man presumed was stress.

"He's gonna be fine, Mikoto-san is on his way back."

"Yeah Seri told me, the Blues will be heading out in a moment and after that we're free to head on home, too. The police will be dealing with the mess while Scepter4 takes a much needed break," the bartender explained as he leaned against the exterior of HOMRA's van. "Speaking of the devil, here he comes."

Yata whipped his head around as quickly as he could, eyes locking on Mikoto's frame as he and the Silver King walked through the crowd of various clansmen. He tried his best to contain his excitement at seeing his boyfriend but eventually mumbled "fuck it" under his breath and hopped off his skateboard, legs carrying him as quickly as he could as he flung himself into the older man's arms. Mikoto caught him with ease even though he hadn't been expecting it, he buried his face in the crook of the Red King's neck as he wrapped his legs around his waist to help hold himself up. I don't give a shit if anyone sees this side of me anymore, I'm so glad you're okay, he thought to himself as he hooked his arms around the King's neck.

"Yata..." Mikoto mumbled quietly as he wrapped his arms around the younger man's waist, "are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine," he insisted as he released his vice grip, reluctantly dropping back down to his own two feet, he looked up at his King. "Are you okay?"

"Ah."

"You had me worried sick when you disappeared like that with the other Kings," Misaki admitted as he followed after the older man who approached a snickering HOMRA, one glare shut them up pretty sufficiently.

"Sorry," Suoh grumbled as he reached up and took the beanie off of the shorter man's head, tossing it at him before he ruffled his hair affectionately. Anna all but attached herself to the Red King after that, grabbing his hand as he relayed the last hours events to them with a tired tone of voice, seemingly too exhausted to launch into great detail about it though no one could really blame him.

"Well, should we head back then?" Izumo asked with a yawn as he stretched out his limbs, something that made practically everyone in their clan repeat the same action.

"I'll cook us all breakfast," Yata offered weakly as he stuffed his beanie in his cargo shorts, not bothering to fix his surely disheveled hair. Beside him he heard the Red King's stomach growl, "I'll make you your favorite," he added with a laugh as everyone in HOMRA chuckled at the sudden interruption.

"I swear you all act like an old married couple," Kusanagi smirked as he dodged the enraged look his best friend shot his way. "Okay boys, and Anna, let's roll."

Everyone climbed into the large van without further coaxing, all too tired to do anything but what they were told at this point. Mikoto sat in the last row with Anna to his right and Yata to his left, the young girl laid her head on his shoulder as she drifted off to sleep shortly after they left the police checkpoint.

"Mikoto-san, there's something I want to do later today, will you go with me?" Misaki asked as he leaned his head on the window, watching Shizume fly past him in a blur of colors and faces, the Red King grunted.

"What is it?"

"I think it's time I checked in with my mom, I haven't seen her since the Monkey and I left, she probably thinks I'm dead." He answered with a sad smile, remembering the look on Saruhiko's face when he announced how his last true family member has perished. It had struck a cord with him, made him realize that despite everything and the new family he had for himself that he would be devastated if something happened to the family that had forgotten him. "I don't really think they miss me too much but I think this is something I need to do, I need to have some closure."

"What brought this about?" Suoh asked as he reached forward and smacked Tatara on top of the head for eavesdropping, said man yelped in pain before apologizing repeatedly.

"I don't know, I just want you to be with me when I do it." Yata lied as he glanced back out the window, he doesn't need to know I was friends with Aya once, the same way Saruhiko doesn't need to know that Mikoto was the one who killed her. Some things are better left unsaid.

"Okay," the King agreed with a small sigh as he leaned back against the headrest, eyes closing as he fought off the wave of exhaustion he felt spill over him, his stomach growled loudly in protest. "You're gonna cook first, right?"

"Yeah, I planned on it," the brunette replied as he too let his eyes slip close, nervousness swelled inside him at the thought of seeing his family again, sensing this Mikoto reached out and placed a hand on his head, ruffling his hair soothingly.

"It's gonna be fine," he whispered reassuringly, something that made the anxiety Yata felt retreat if only a little.

"Yeah, I hope so," Misaki said as he leaned into the touch, "thanks for agreeing to go with me."

Mikoto grunted in acknowledgment, the van went quiet after that, everyone wrapped up in their own thoughts as they headed back to the bar a lot of them called home.

0o0o0o0o

"Captain, welcome back." Seri exclaimed with a salute though her stature showed the true nature of how she was feeling, relieved and exhausted both.

"Hey," Fushimi added as he sat up in his hospital bed, a scowl on his face as he looked over at the Lieutenant. "Can I go now? I've already told you that I'm fine."

"No Fushimi, you're not going anywhere," she huffed as she placed her hands on her hips, "I swear you're the most stubborn man on this planet," she paused as her eyes trailed back to the Blue King. "Captain, your arm!"

"Fret not, Ms. Awashima, it's nothing too serious. Please have a medical unit come in here to properly bandage this and I will be fine afterward," Reisi insisted as he walked around the blond and took up a seat on the other bed closest to Saruhiko, who was staring at him with inquisitive eyes as the Blue King shrugged his blood stained uniform off. Scepter4's third in command looked sick when the older man removed his shirt, showing off the deep gashes and stab wounds that tore into his right arm.

"Well that looks...disgusting," Fushimi stated with a click of his tongue, averting his attention from the Captain and onto to Seri who stood there with a look of shock on her face, she quickly left the room then. Call the medics so I don't have to look at that, he thought to himself as he relaxed back onto the bed, exhaustion hitting him like a bullet train.

"You appear disturbed," Munakata said with a smirk as he studied the younger man's facial expression, "it's not that bad, I assure you."

"Well it's making me sick just looking at it."

"So don't look at it," the Blue King laughed, much to the younger man's dismay.

"Jungle is finished," Saruhiko commented as he held out a disposable PDA, pulled up to the website Jungle had laid claim to. In deep green pixelated text the log in screen was replaced by two simple words, **GAME OVER.**

"Well that's good to hear," Munakata commented as the medical staff rushed into the room, making quick work of caring for his wounded arm while they got fluids into an IV to administer to him. All the while Fushimi watched them work silently, studying every movement that came from either the medical team or the Blue King.

"Captain please rest for at least a few hours," Benzai pleaded as he flipped one of the machines on, starting the IV drip he had been given.

"Of course, thank you for all your hard work," he exclaimed as he relaxed back onto the stiff mattress, sighing in frustration when he and Saruhiko were the only ones left in the room. "This day has been beyond tiresome, we will have a lot of work to do when we are able."

"Tell me about it, I hate office work," the younger man seethed as he turned and looked over at the Blue King. "Captain I have a question to ask you."

"What can I do for you, Fushimi-kun?"

"Well, I just need an answer, honestly. I've noticed that there is a large gap in strength between normal clansmen and their lieutenants, why is that?"

"That's a difficult question to answer, but we do have a theory surrounding it," Munakata answered as he gave Saruhiko his undivided attention. "A King's second in charge is usually someone close to them, someone they have fought with time and time again and also someone they have a strong bond with. A King must trust his second in command with their life, and vise versa. That being said we have hypothesized that because of the nature of their relationship that they are able to access more power because a King has no doubts about that person's ambitions and loyalty. Think of Ms. Awashima and I or Suoh and Kusanagi-san for example."

"And what would you say if another clansmen who was not second in charge began to display extraordinary changes in strength?" Fushimi grumbled as he recalled the way Yata had appeared to him during their fight earlier in the day. He had his own theories but was still unsure about the whole thing.

"Well is there something you can give me for background information? Who did you notice a change in? This way I can give you a better theory," Reisi explained as he twirled his finger around one of the cords that pushed medicine into his arm.

"It's Misaki," Saruhiko answered in short, groaning out of regret as soon as the Blue King chuckled.

"Well we can theorize the same sort of thing here, though we have never seen Totsuka-san fight we can likely assume he too has a much stronger Aura than someone like Rikio Kamamoto, this is because of his relationship with the Red King."

"So you're saying because Misaki is someone important to him he has gained more power?" Saruhiko asked in need of clarification, he let out a rugged breath as he disregarded the amused face his boss gave him.

"Precisely, though this is another theory with no scientific proof we can assume because of the nature of their relationship that he has quickly gained more power, intimacy might be a key factor seeing as no one else in that clan would display a change of power except for Yata, who knows the Red King better than almost anyone now."

"So he got more power because he had sex with his King?" Fushimi really regretted asking that, that was one mental image he really didn't need in his head.

"Perhaps, perhaps not, there is no proof of any of this." Munakata shook his head slightly to clear it of the thought, "anyway, I'm glad everything went well at the hotel. You do need to proceed with more caution though, Fushimi-kun. When we are both well would you like to begin shadowing me? We have been so busy these last few months I have not had the time to devote my attention to that."

"Sure, I guess," the younger man answered with a click of his tongue, though the prospect of getting more training and expanding his intellect was a bit exciting he didn't let it show. "Sir?"

"Yes, Fushimi-kun?"

"Do you think the Slate would hint at who the next King is going to be?"

"That's another impossible question to answer," Munakata replied with a look of slight surprise, "are you insinuating that you think Yata will become a King one day?"

"It crossed my mind in that moment, the Blue Aura reacted chaotically when it sensed the Red Aura that permeated from him, it was hard to contain...I've never had that happen to me before."

"Well while that is interesting and I'd love to test that theory there is really no way we could ever know, not unless Suoh or myself renounced our throne and I don't see that happening for quite some time." Reisi announced as he let his eyes close, a smile pulled on his lips. "For now, Fushimi-kun, just enjoy your carefree life and allow me to deal with the responsibility of being a King, should the day come that you are destined to take my place then I hope my lessons stick with you and help guide you."

"Yeah, you're right," Saruhiko mumbled through a yawn.

"Fushimi-kun, in honor of our new partnership would you mind joining me for dinner this evening?" The Blue King asked with a smirk as he watched his clansman's face contort into understanding, though it did brim on confusion.

"Are you asking me as your co-worker or a-"

"Actually I would like to take you out, as in on a date." Munakata clarified with a small laugh when he watched the smaller man gawk at him, clearly unamused when laughter met his ears.

"If you're buying then I suppose I can do that," Fushimi murmured as he turned on his side, "now be quiet, you're annoying me."

"If you say so, Fushimi-kun," Reisi smirked as he too rolled on his side, eyes finally closing for the last time that morning as he fell into a deep sleep.

If you say so.

0o0o0o0

"Mikoto-san I think I made a mistake, maybe we should just go..." Yata whined as he gripped onto the passenger door handle, regret washing over him as he stared at the house he grew up in. The windows in the house were lit up with artificial light considering the sun had set half an hour ago, but it also told him the people he had set out to see were in there. Now he wasn't so sure he wanted to see them.

He and Mikoto both had dressed up as nicely as they could, after he had expressed wanting to make a decent impression on them as if that would atone for everything he had done. When he left his mother's house all those years ago he had fled like a house in a hurricane, not leaving anything behind but destruction in the form of his dresser drawers being tossed and emptied, his posters shredded and scattered about. It was as if he hadn't had any qualms about how they would feel when they found it, come to think of it he hadn't cared.

He glanced over at his King, who wore his usual dark jeans but sported a tight fitting leather jacket and a red and black plaid scarf around his neck, it wasn't cold per say but the night chill of spring called for a little cover from the elements. Yata himself had worn a pair of dark jeans and a black v-neck tee shirt with the leather jacket Mikoto had given him over his shoulders. Even his hair, though it was down, was styled into a purposely disheveled look, it was the best he could do at the time.

As if to snap him out of his thoughts Mikoto slugged him on the arm, relatively hard.

"Ow!" He hissed as he cupped his shoulder blade with his hand, "what was that for?!"

"For being an idiot, let's go."

That obviously leaves no room for an argument, he thought as he let out a deep sigh, finally prying open the car door as he joined up with the Red King who waited for him by the driver's side door, he grabbed his arm reluctantly.

"Mikoto-san, I'm...what if they get angry that I'm here?"

The older man glanced down at him with a look of sheer annoyance, "stop thinking like that, what did I tell you all those months ago?"

"What do you mean?" Misaki questioned as he let the leader of HOMRA pull him into an one armed hug.

"I said when you say something you need to mean it," he grumbled into his ear, sending chills down the skateboarder's spine in the process, "quit trying to take back what you say because you're scared. Face your fears or else you'll never get over them."

"You're right, you've taught me a lot about facing my fears...I need to do this, don't I?"

"Yeah, you do," Suoh murmured as he kissed the top of his forehead, "sorry I hit you."

"You hit everyone, it's a sign of concern coming from you," Misaki laughed as he wrapped his arms around the taller man, anxiety beginning to fade away the longer he was in his boyfriend's arms, Suoh smirked at the sentiment.

"Sometimes," he corrected, "sometimes people deserve it."

"That's true," Yata concurred as he let go of his King, "well...let's do this." Mikoto nodded his head in agreement.

He braced himself as he walked down the concrete walkway that lead to his childhood home's front door, when he was in front of the thick wooden door he spared a glance back at the Red King who was silently urging him to do it, and with reluctance he brought his knuckles up to the surface, knocking a few times before he stuck his hands in his jacket pockets.

"Coming!"

Came the almost immediate reply, his mother's voice, his stomach tied in knots when he heard the familiar sound of locks being undone. Seconds later the door swung open, revealing the face of his mother who looked like she hadn't aged a day in the years they spent apart, her eyes widened in shock. "Misaki?"

"Hey...mom..." he offered weakly as tears sprung into her eyes, before he could even blink he was in a vice grip of a hug, his mother clung to him desperately as she sobbed into his shoulder.

"Where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried I've been?" She cried, her grip on him refusing to falter, "we thought you were dead, Misaki. How could you worry me like this?"

"I know...I should have called..." he replied with a frown as he held onto her, not at all understanding why she was so upset over his disappearance.You didn't pay attention to me when I was here and yet you missed me when I was gone?

"Where did you go?" His mother asked as she finally let him back out of the hug, though she did keep her hands planted firmly on his shoulders.

"Saruhiko and I bought a place, but a lot has changed since then," Yata replied with a look of disdain, "I'm not ready to talk about that though, I just wanted to see you."

"Thank God you're okay, is Saruhiko all right?"

"He's fine mom, we just don't...talk very much anymore," he explained weakly as he looked back into the house, where his two small siblings stood, staring at him in shock. "Minoru, Megumi...you've gotten so big, you probably don't even remember me that well..." a look of sadness swept over his face, something his mother frowned at.

"You can make up for that in time, Misaki, not everything is wasted," she replied as she placed a hand on his cheek, "I'm so glad you're home."

"Where's Yuto?" He asked as he continued to glance into the house in search of his step father.

"He's in the living room, please come in...but first, who is your friend?"

Yata had completely forgotten that he had brought his King with him, when he looked over his shoulder he was standing there with his usual bored look on his face though the skateboarder could detect the small twinge of a smile that pulled on the corners of his lips. The more time he spent with the redhead the more he noticed things everyone else seemed blind too, sure he usually looked disinterested most of the time, but there were very subtle things that he did that hinted at other emotions, ones that were lost on everyone but his boyfriend. This was one of those times, his mother looked intimidated, his siblings hid behind her, refusing to peer out to look at him again, Yata couldn't help himself but laugh.

"Mom this is Suoh Mikoto, he's been a huge influence on me since I left, he's been a real hero to me. I wanted you to meet him," Misaki explained as he walked out of his mom's hold and grabbed the older man by the arm to drag him over to where they stood.

"It's nice to meet you, Mikoto-san," she said nervously as she stuck out her hand, nearly sighing in relief when the Red King shook it without hesitation.

"Nice to meet you, too."

"Well please, come in, come in, we were just about to have dinner. Would you please stay?" She asked as she held the door open for them, Minoru and Megumi ran off then, yelling something about going to play with some toys. Yata nodded his head as he followed her into the familiar home, Mikoto was hot on his heels as they walked to the living room, taking their shoes off before they entered all the way. There his step dad sat, eyes fixated on the television screen as if he didn't notice them, whereas his mother had hardly changed he couldn't say the same about the man in front of him.

"Dear, look who came by," his mom insisted as she stepped aside, her husband turned his head as he locked eyes with Yata.

"Good lord, Misaki is that you?" The man asked as he slowly got up from the couch, a smile pulling on his lips when the skateboarder nodded his head. "We've been worried sick, we thought something happened to you!"

"I know, I'm sorry about that..." Yata explained as he looked down at his hands, to his surprise his step father placed a calming hand on his shoulder.

"I'm glad you're here, I'm so relieved to see you unharmed. Are you doing okay? Where have you been all of this time?"

"Honey, save the questions for when dinner is completed." The woman joked as she slipped an apron over her head, "please have a seat, the meal will be done shortly."

"Right," Yata answered as he did as instructed, following after his former teacher as he sat on the same couch he had used when he lived in the home. "It's good to see you..."

His step father smiled back at him.

"It's good to see you, too."

Mikoto shot him an I told you so look as he relaxed onto the couch next to the skateboarder, through his smugness Yata could see something akin to happiness on his face. He couldn't stop the smile that grew on his face as he glanced around the room, listening to his siblings argue down the hall, his mother hum in the kitchen, and his step father and Mikoto begin to have a conversation. It was a perfect ending to a terrible day. He leaned his head back on the couch, eyes staring at the ceiling before he let them slip close.

It's so good to be back here again.


	13. Knight

**THE LAST CHAPTER IS HERE. T-T 3**

 **So so so bittersweet, I've had a blast writing this and I'd like to thank every single one of you who has read this and double thanks to everyone who has left me such lovely feedback. You are the best, truly. This was my first fanfic to topple 100k words and I couldn't be any happier about that. I loved writing this and I sincerely hope you all enjoy any other works I post in the future.**

 **1000 x Thank you.**

 **Warning for this chapter: Lots of feels, sex (which I hardly ever write so I really hope it isn't terrible), some violence, sappy moments (some a bit OOC for the sake of character development) and an unexpected event. I also realize one thing isn't legal in Japan but welcome to fiction, everything is legal in fiction. ;D**

 **For the last time on this fic, please enjoy it!**

 ***cries***

"So Mikoto-san, what do you do for a living?" Yata's step father asked as he crossed his chopsticks across his bowl, having just finished his meal. Beside the Red King his lover flinched at the words, a silent way of letting him know to lie his way through that because outright saying _I'm a supernatural being that is the literal personification of fire_ would probably not go over well.

"Yata and I work at a pub in Shizume," he answered as he too sat down his eating utensils, as if to change the subject he spared a glance at the younger man's mother. "The meal was delicious, thank you."

"Please don't mention it, if you're still hungry there is more in the kitchen," she exclaimed with a smile as she folded her napkin, "Misaki since your brother and sister fell asleep why don't you come back sometime soon and we can all do something together?"

"That sounds good mom, as soon as I have a chance I'll take you up on that," the skateboarder answered with a smile as he finished off the rice that was in his bowl, "Mikoto-san was right, everything was delicious."

"I'm glad you two enjoyed it," she smiled as the conversation died down. For a moment it was quiet, something Suoh found slightly awkward but he certainly didn't feel like being the one to break the silence. "Excuse me for being so blunt, but I wanted to ask if you had a girlfriend by now, Misaki. You've grown up on me, you're almost twenty now, I can hardly believe it. You must have someone special, you've become as handsome as your father was."

Mikoto felt the younger man next to him stiffen.

"No I don't have a girlfriend," he mumbled under his breath, seeming a bit put off by the whole charade but the Red King figured that was more likely due to the mention of his deceased father and less on the fact his mother had expected him to be dating a girl.

"Oh, what about Saruhiko? You two seemed awfully smitten with each other," the woman laughed though Yata and Mikoto found it a little less than funny.

"Mom I told you we don't talk much anymore," the vanguard leader expressed with a sigh of defeat, "there is someone in my life though."

"Oh? Do I have the pleasure of meeting this person?"

"You just did," Yata whined as he slammed his head on the table, "this is awkward...but mom, Mikoto-san is who I'm in a relationship with."

The silence in the room returned and was magnified, the tension growing thick enough that it could be sliced by a knife. The King found himself becoming increasingly uncomfortable when he locked eyes with his boyfriend's former teacher.

"Well I had a feeling but I felt like it would be exceptionally rude to ask," she mumbled under her breath as she took a sip of water, "if that hadn't been the case it would've been embarrassing."

"So Mikoto-san," Yuto exclaimed as he folded his glasses and laid them down on the small table they were seated at, "you're the one who has managed to tame his wild heart. Misaki was always an energetic boy but I can see he has matured a significant amount during the time we haven't spoken, seeing as he said he met you several years ago I presume you are to thank for this."

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here," Yata huffed as he leaned up from the wooden surface, crossing his arms in the process. "Mikoto-san has been my saving grace, without him I'd probably be living on the streets or be dead somewhere."

"Well then it's a blessing that you found each other," the younger man's mom said with an honest smile, "Mikoto-san if what my son says is true then I cannot thank you enough for all you've done for him. I always had a feeling Misaki was a little less than interested in women seeing as he never knew how to talk to them, it was adorable, the way he'd act as if they were creatures from another planet."

"Mom that's cruel," Yata seethed as he ducked his head downward, hiding a deep crimson blush that dusted over his pale cheeks.

"While I don't understand the nature of your relationship I will accept it, I hope you and my boy come back here again, we would love to get to know you, wouldn't we dear?"

"Of course, anyone important to Misaki is always welcome in our home. Thank you for bringing him here tonight," Yuto answered as he sent the Red King a grin, something he warily returned.

"Well mom...it's getting late and we have people waiting on us to get back. I don't know if your phone number is still the same or not but let me call you next week and we can arrange something, okay?" Yata strained as he moved around in his seat, clearly a bit antsy though Mikoto couldn't exactly pinpoint why. _Here I was thinking things went smoothly and he's acting like we got put on blast for this..._ he mused as he fished Izumo's car keys from his front pocket.

"So soon? Well my number is still the same as it's always been, please come back soon."

"I will, don't worry." Misaki called out as he stood up, legs shaking slightly as the Red King rose to stand next to him. Mikoto watched his boyfriend shake his step father's hand and give his mother a hug and in turn he wound up doing the same thing. Yata's mother wouldn't accept anything else but a hug from him so he had awkwardly caved in, ignoring the giggles that erupted from the skateboarder's throat. "Goodnight," the younger man bellowed as he led his boyfriend out the front door, practically dragging him to the car as if he was in the biggest rush of his life.

"What's wrong?" Mikoto deadpanned as he shook off the skateboarder's hold, something akin to embarrassment shrouded the brunette's face.

"I just...that was just too overwhelming, I wanted to do this for closure. I wasn't expecting to be welcomed back like that, I need to ease myself into this unless I'll just wind up running away again," he mumbled under his breath as he slid into the passenger side of the car, joining the Red King in the Lexus.

"It's obvious they care about you," Suoh grumbled as he turned the key into the ignition, the vehicle roared to life as a result.

"Not to me it wasn't," Misaki whispered as he wiped at his face, something that made the King freeze in his place before he could pull the car away from curb.

"Are you crying?"

"No," the younger man lied with a sigh, though it was obviously far from the truth he tried to mask it by ducking his head down, staring down at his hands.

"That overwhelming, huh?" Mikoto asked as he reached out and brushed the hair out of the younger man's eyes, taking a few stray tears along with it, "don't worry so much, they were just glad to see you, that's not an obligation in itself."

"You're right, it's just been a long day and I hadn't been expecting them to bring up all this stuff from the past and the fact my siblings didn't even recognize me kinda hurt. They were so young when I left that I kind of knew they wouldn't but it sucked to see it," Yata sighed as he glanced over at the man in the driver's seat, "I guess I really was stupid when I left. I thought my mom was trying to replace me because she never wanted me around, but now I think I might have just been jealous and the reason they never asked me to do anything was because they thought I wouldn't want to."

"Well you see you were wrong so that's a step in the right direction," Mikoto remarked as he reached up to ruffle the younger man's hair, "in time things will work themselves out, at least they didn't get mad at me."

"Why? For being my boyfriend?" Yata chuckled as he wiped the rest of the tears from his eyes, a smile tugged at his lips, "I didn't think they'd freak out or anything, I know they don't understand it but it's not like I would do anything differently if they didn't accept it. That would be their problem, not mine."

"Ready to go home?" Mikoto proposed as he changed the topic, trying to prevent any further emotional moments because he had honestly had enough of those for the day. He knew the tears Misaki had shed had been ones of relief, if not happiness, but it didn't make it any easier to wipe the liquid away from his eyes. For some reason, it hurt him all the same. From taking down Jungle to eating breakfast at the bar to napping and seeing Misaki's family the day had been a true oddity. Something so absolutely exhausting that the only thing the Red King wanted to do was pull Yata in his arms and sleep. Something he'd probably do as soon as they got in the door.

"Yeah, can we sleep in tomorrow?" Misaki asked with a cheeky smile as he relaxed back into the seat, clearly just as exhausted as the man who was driving.

"I could sleep for a week straight so that sounds perfect."

Misaki chuckled, nodding his head vigorously in agreement as they made their way home, both eager to end the day that had caused them both a great deal of stress.

0o0o0o

 **May 5th, 2013**

"Our sources say that the Yakuza have been asking for information on us again, apparently this time it's a group that sells guns on the streets, kind of dangerous if you ask me," Izumo exclaimed as he pulled up a file on his PDA at HOMRA's once-a-week dinner party. "Should we take them out?"

"Ah, we'll go tomorrow." Mikoto yawned as he wiped Anna's face with a paper towel to rid it off a stray drop of curry that had been left on her chin, the young girl blushed in response.

"Why aren't you two eating? Don't tell me you ate while you cooked," Kusanagi laughed as he eyed the Red King and Yata intently, the duo shook their heads in unison.

"Mikoto-san and I are going to dinner later," Misaki answered as he relaxed back into his seat, hands pulling at the table cloth that was draped over the tables that had been pushed together.

"Special occasion?" Tatara inquired as he laced his fingers together atop of the table, resting his head on top of them in the process.

"Kind of," Yata answered with a slight chuckle as he glanced around at his fellow clansmen who were all shooting him curious looks. He ducked his head downward and blushed, "it's...well..."

"Yata c'mon, you can't just leave us hanging like that," Chitose teased as he pulled out his cell phone and began to vigorously text someone, moments later the vanguard leader's phone vibrated.

 **From: Chitose**

 **Are you pregnant? :,D I knew you looked a bit bigger than usual, congrats! ^o^**

"Mikoto-san, will you handle this?" Yata replied with a smirk as he handed the phone off to the Red King, ignoring the way Chitose screamed and whined in protest.

"Mikoto-san I was kidding! Please don't kill me!" The Red Clansmen yelped as he shot the skateboarder a dirty look, "Yata why the fuck would you do that to me?!"

"Chitose if you're gonna try to insult someone at least be a bit more creative, that was weak." Mikoto replied with an annoyed look as he handed his boyfriend his phone, a glare was sent his clansman's way to silence any further taunting. Chitose sunk into his chair as a result, completely deflated by the situation.

"So really what's the occasion?" Bandou laughed as he slugged Yata on the shoulder lightly, "you know we're all too nosy, you can't just not tell us."

"Mikoto-san and I have been together for half a year, that's all," Misaki answered weakly as he turned his attention to the tablecloth once again, taking a sudden interest in the patterns on the stained cloth and less on the _awes and hoots_ that came from around the table. Suoh shook his head as if to silence them, which ended up working in the end.

"Have a good time," Anna exclaimed as she peaked her head around her guardian and gave Yata an honest smile, something he eagerly returned.

"Leave it to our Princess to save the King and his Que- ow, King! Don't hit me so hard!" Totsuka whined as he gripped the top of his head, wincing when Mikoto shot him a deadly glare, "sorry sorry. King and his...uhm...his Knight? Is that any better?"

"You all suck," Yata whined as he hid his head in his hands, "Anna is the only sane one in this room, I swear."

"Knight is a lot better than Queen," Izumo laughed as he took a long sip of one of his favorite imported wines, "does that make me royalty too? I'm second in charge here."

"Wouldn't that make all of us royalty in a way?" Shouhei laughed as he glanced up the table, everyone snickered at the idea.

"Yata let's go, I can't handle this nonsense," Mikoto sighed as he ruffled Anna's hair, "Tatara, you're going to stay until I'm back, right?"

"Yeah I'll watch her," the cameraman confirmed as he shot his King a thumbs up.

"Be here tomorrow at noon and we'll move out," Suoh commanded as he rose to his feet, dragging Misaki by his hand as they made their way out of the barroom. They walked down the streets hand in hand for several blocks in complete silence, the occasional passerby would cast them a glance but as soon as the Red King locked eyes with them it ceased, something that made Yata feel a bit more comfortable. As they rounded the final corner the skateboarder felt a strange feeling rise in his stomach, and as his gaze wandered to view the sidewalk on the other side of the street his eyes widened, Mikoto glanced over simultaneously and let out a grunt.

On the other sidewalk walked Reisi Munakata and Saruhiko Fushimi, hand in hand in a similar fashion as they glanced over at the two members of the Red Clan with looks that changed from acknowledgment to shock.

"Should we say something?" Yata inquired as he clung to the King's arm, as if to shield himself from the prying eyes from across the way, Suoh shrugged slightly in response. As if to answer the question the Blues froze in their place before making their way across the nearest crosswalk, headed in their direction to save the Reds the trouble.

"Suoh, Yata-kun, what a lovely surprise," Munakata exclaimed as Fushimi dropped his hand with a clearly unamused glare.

"I thought I told you to stay out of Shizume," Mikoto countered as he tightened his grip on the skateboarder's hand to spite them.

"Well even I like to break the rules sometimes, fighting it out on the streets would be a waste of time and besides, I'm quite busy at the moment. I just wanted to say hello," the Blue King responded with a chuckle. "You two are dressed a bit nicer than usual, surely you wouldn't want to fight with us when clearly you two were on a date."

"That sounds like an excuse not to fight us," Suoh grumbled as his eyes scanned the other pair over, "besides, seeing you out of uniform let's me know we would be interrupting your night as well. _Date night_ I presume?"

"Actually Fushimi-kun and I were headed to dinner, so yes you would be interrupting."

"I knew it," Yata laughed as he locked eyes with Saruhiko, something the other man clicked his tongue at. "Makes sense, I guess."

The tension grew thick but none of them made a move.

"Where were you two headed?" Mikoto asked out of curiosity as he readjusted his grip on his vanguard's hand.

"Asuka, it's a seafood restaurant down the street from here," Munakata exclaimed with a sigh, "we have reservations so we really should be going."

"Are you kidding me?" The Red King groaned as he shot Yata an aggravated look, "guess we will have to find somewhere else to eat."

"Oh? You had reservations there as well?" Reisi laughed as he shook his head, "nonsense, why don't you two join us?"

"What?" The three other man exclaimed in unison, something that only made the leader of Scepter4 laugh even harder.

"Don't act so surprised, it's called being polite."

"It's called we're not allies anymore and I don't want to look at your face while I'm trying to eat," Mikoto hissed as he shot the other King one last look before turning around, dragging his boyfriend with him. "You better hope your table is far away from mine, and I don't want to see you on my turf again."

"Fushimi-kun, shall we go?" Munakata asked as he reached down and grabbed the younger man's hand, despite his annoyance at the gesture.

"Can't we just go somewhere else?" The younger man hissed as he watched the Reds disappear around the final turn that led to the restaurant.

"Nonsense, it's a Friday night! Everything else will be booked and unless you want to eat fast food we need to get a move on," Reisi chuckled as he all but dragged his third in command after him.

Much to both Clan's dismay their tables were a little less than far apart. They were right next to each other.

0o0o0o

"That was so awkward," Yata whined as he attached himself to the Red King's arm, "can we go get some ice cream or something? I need to forget all about that."

"Sorry they crashed the party," Mikoto sighed as he glanced down at his phone to get a glimpse of the time, "it's only eight, do you want to see if Anna wants to come with us?"

"Yeah, let's go get her, it's on the way back anyway." The vanguard leader expressed as he fell into step beside the older man, a smile pulling on his face as the restaurant they had went to disappeared in the distance. "I really hope Anna doesn't spite me," he said out loud though he hadn't meant to. He cursed under his breath afterward, the Red King shot him a curious glance.

"Why would she?"

"Because of me you and her spend less time together," Misaki answered with a sigh as he rested his head on the taller man's arm, eyebrows knitting together in frustration.

"I don't think she sees it that way," Mikoto answered as he squeezed the younger man's hand, "she's probably just grateful to see us happy."

"I know she's glad you're happy but she misses you and I don't want her to think that just because we're together that she can't hang around us," the skateboarder explained as they waited at a crosswalk for the sign to change to **walk**.

"She hangs out with us," Suoh countered with a raise of his eyebrows, "it's not like she can be with us all of the time."

"Well obviously not," Yata blushed heavily as he his his face, "I...I just want her to be okay with it."

"She's fine, I think she'd say something if she wasn't."

"Yeah, you're right," the younger man answered as they came to a stop outside the bar. Mikoto held the door open for them as they made their way inside, everyone had already left leaving just Tatara, Izumo and Anna behind to finish up the cleaning, they all looked at them in acknowledgment before getting back to work. "Anna, do you want to go get some ice cream with us?" The young girl's eyes lit up as she handed a stack of dishes to the groups strategist.

"Really?" She practically gawked, something everyone shook their heads at.

"Yes really c'mon," Misaki chuckled as he held his hand out to her, something she rushed over to take, a huge smile grew on her lips when the three of them set out in search of the parlor that was two blocks away. The night life of Tokyo was as to be expected, the streets were crowded and the sidewalks even more so, as if to not lose each other in the masses Mikoto grabbed Anna's other hand to keep the three of them together as they turned onto a less crowded area of the street, the parlor just a minute away at this point. When they arrived Anna let go of their hands and practically rushed into the store, leaving the two men behind as they slowly made their way in after her.

"What are you going to get, Anna?" Misaki asked as he approached the small Strain, Mikoto loitered behind the two of them with a small smile on his face.

"I don't know yet," she answered as her eyes scanned the case repetitively, "Mikoto what are you getting?"

"Strawberry," he answered as he looked up at the menu that hung over the counter, ignoring the way the young girl and his boyfriend laughed at him for his _bland_ choice.

"I'm gonna get mint chocolate chip," Yata decided as he continued to watch Anna observe the ice cream containers in the case, "have you decided?"

"Mhm," she nodded her head as they joined up with the Red King who had approached the counter.

"We'll take two scoops of strawberry, two scoops of mint chocolate, and one scoop of...?" Yata glanced down at the young girl who eyed the man behind the counter warily.

"I want two scoops, one of strawberry and one mint chocolate," she answered with a small smile, something the two men who accompanied her grinned at.

"Let me get those for you," the man behind the counter exclaimed as he made quick work of getting their order ready, once Mikoto swiped his card the three of them found a table in the back of the parlor away from the masses of people that were already in there and took their seats. Yata watched the people around them out of curiosity, it was mainly young teenagers and a few couples that filled the area but across the parlor he could see a man and a woman with their daughter, laughing about something as they ate their frozen desert. He giggled as he let his eyes wonder back to his own table, _god is that how we look to everyone else?_ He thought to himself as he let his eyes snake up to see Anna politely eating her ice cream with a smile and to Mikoto who made quick work of eating his despite the disinterested look that was on his face. _Yeah...probably not._

"Eat," Suoh grumbled as he pinched the younger man on the arm, something he yelped at then laughed off when a few other patrons shot him funny glances, he hadn't even realized he hadn't touched his food. He practically inhaled it to make up for lost time, Mikoto's empty bowl was sat in the middle of table as was Anna's half full bowl though she looked way too full to finish it, Yata stacked his own empty container on top of them before he got up and threw them in the trash. When he turned back around neither of them had moved from their spots.

"Are you guys ready?" He asked as he pushed his chair in, eyes darting back and forth between Anna and the Red King.

"Sit," Suoh commanded as he waved down at the chair, Yata nervously did as he was told though he felt the air around them become uncomfortable when no one spoke for several moments. "Anna do you care that Misaki and I go out every now and again?"

The skateboarder squirmed in his seat at the question, finding himself growing increasingly more uncomfortable the more time it took for the young girl to answer.

"No," she deadpanned as she looked at her guardian with a confused glance, "why would I? I'm glad you two are together, I'm glad he makes you happy Mikoto."

"I told you," the Red King grumbled as he locked eyes with his vanguard, clearly feeling a bit smug after the whole situation that made Misaki blush out of embarrassment.

"I-I just wanted to make sure," the younger man said nervously as he glanced between his boyfriend and the Strain, "I don't want you to resent me for that."

"I don't," Anna smiled as she tilted her head to the side, "but I want to ask something."

"Of course," Misaki answered as he nodded his head slowly, something that made the young girl's smile grow wider.

"Can we watch the movies Tatara has filmed tonight? He gave me a box of them and I want to watch them with you and Mikoto," she explained.

"I think that sounds like fun," Yata acknowledged as he looked over at their King, "what do you think, Mikoto-san?"

"I think you need to stop calling me that," the older man seethed as he tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling, "yeah, we can do that."

Yata blushed furiously in response, "o-okay, let's go then."

0o0o0o

As soon as they had gotten back to the bar Mikoto insisted on taking a shower first which left Anna and Yata in the recreation room watching TV until he returned. The Strain was completely engrossed in the show that was rolling on the screen but he felt his interest slip when his watch and phone both lit up with a new notification.

 **One NEW text message from: The Monkey o(-.-)o**

He was about to ignore it, figuring it would be something along the lines of _if you say a word about the Blue King and I then I will kill you and everyone you love_ but then something from over a month ago came to him.

" _There's something I'm going to tell you but it might take me some time to say it, if you ever get a text from me then you'll know what it is."_

Misaki eventually caved in to curiosity, groaning slightly when he realized just how long the message truly was. Still, he reluctantly began to read it.

 **From: The Monkey o(-.-)o**

 **Hey, I know you're busy with your boyfriend or whatever but I told you I had something I needed to tell you so I'm gonna go ahead and say it. It's more like an explanation for a few things but how you take it it is entirely up to you.**

 **Let me start off by emphasizing that I, in no way, shape or form, am jealous of Suoh Mikoto. Not anymore.**

 **At one time I was, you idolized him and looked at him as if he was a God amongst men, why wouldn't that bother me? If Mikoto started ignoring you and hanging out with let's say Izumo nonstop and practically worshiped the ground he walked on than you would be jealous, too. I don't think that's something you can honestly deny. So yes, I was jealous of him to a degree.**

 **But there is something that is even more prevalent as to why I left HOMRA.**

 **Misaki...I hate fire.**

 **My piece of shit father used to torment me with it, it was something that scared the hell out of me when we first met the Red King and his clan. On that day when Mikoto offered his hand to us I was terrified, the very thing that made me cower in fear was being offered to me. I didn't see him as a King nor did I see him as a human, he was nothing more than a shell for flames to dwell in. He was hellfire in the flesh, he was my biggest fear.**

Yata felt his widened eyes shake as he reread that last sentence over and over again, letting the words sink in.

 **Even Tatara, despite being a pacifist, scared me. I was afraid of myself for awhile too, I refused to accept the fact that I now had the very thing that had tormented me flowing through my being, it was a scary thought. I refused to get too close to them, I did it to shelter myself from them, and when my bastard father died a part of me wondered if someone else would come along and torment me with it. I even wondered if it would be you.**

 **Then when Izumo and I met with the Blue King I was shocked, he reminded me so much of my father and maybe even myself looks wise but his personality was cold, it was calculated, it was just like my father had been to me but the Blue King respected me. He didn't try to make me cower in fear, instead he spoke to me as if I was someone important though he didn't know me.**

 **God, this sounds weird now that you know the nature of our relationship but I swear I've stopped thinking of him in such a way. Now he's just an even bigger pain in the ass, don't you dare make a pun about that either.**

 **I had two options at that point, I could stay with the people who had all but kicked me out for refusing to do anything with them, you and HOMRA, the people who were my nightmare come to life; or I could join the Blues, an organized group that could offer stability to me for the first time in my life.**

 **Mikoto took my hand and Munakata offered me his blade, now that I think about it kind of makes sense.**

 **The Red King is the type of man who would do anything for his own, he doesn't rely on borrowed power from weapons because he doesn't need it, he is the embodiment of hell and his wrath is the most terrifying prospect one can face. He does everything for the people he loves and burns the rest to cinders, he offers protection and shelter with nothing more than his hands. He is feared and powerful, violent yet caring, revered by all out of nothing short of terror. His enemies, myself included, are shown no mercy. Come to think of it, I can see why you love him.**

 **If he didn't send chills down my spine with the slightest of glances than maybe I would've admired him, too. He was everything you wanted me to be, everything you wanted to be, and when that wasn't possible he was everything you ever wanted. I couldn't compete with that.**

 **The Blue King is the type of man who would go to the ends of the Earth for everyone, even his enemies because he has a heart of gold, despite how he may seem to others. He's dignified and thoughtful, commanding yet understanding, he's a safe house to people like me who need security. He defends what he believes in with every fiber of his being and he also defends the rights of everyone around him, he tries his best to keep order and peace but he's not afraid of conflict either. He's cold and cunning yet warm, warmer than Mikoto ever felt to me, ironically enough.**

 **Does that make sense to you? Do you understand why I did what I had to do now? I've conquered my fears, I've forgiven my bastard father for what he's done, I've forgiven my mother for neglecting me, I've forgiven you, and your King because I was the one at fault. I'm never going to say any of this aloud, as you can tell this is completely unlike me but it's been a long time coming. It's about time I told you the truth about this.**

 **Misaki, if you...if you want to be frenemies then I guess I can deal with that. I'm not going to say a part of me doesn't still miss you because that would be a lie, it wasn't your fault we got caught up in this, the world we created for ourselves couldn't be sheltered by something of this caliber. It was inevitable, dare I say it was fate.**

 **And with all of this being said...this is me letting you go. I'm always going to love you, you were my first love so it's impossible to forget that kind of thing, but I am no longer in love with you. I want to kick your face in and throw knives in your chest but I also want to talk civilly and know I can call you if I ever need to talk, I want you to feel the same way.**

 **Sorry for writing you a book, it's a lot to convey and my pride wouldn't let me say this to your face. We're enemies for now, but next time we see each other and should our Kings feel the need to call another temporary alliance then maybe we could hang out like we used to without worrying about anything else. Enemies when we are needed to be and friends when we are able, sounds like something I think we can manage.**

 **See you later...Yata.**

Misaki stared down at his phone in disbelief, the words his friend turned enemy, turned kind of friend, sinking into his head as he tuned everything else out. He hadn't even realized Anna was looking over his shoulder nor did he realize Mikoto had come back and was standing behind him, glancing down at the two of them and the phone with a quizzical expression. _Saru...why didn't you tell me?_

"Well, that's unexpected," Mikoto mumbled as he hopped over the back of the couch and took a seat next to Yata, Anna got up so she could sit in his lap.

"How much of that did you read?" He asked as he put his phone down on the couch, pondering what he would even say to such a confession.

"All of it, you had this horrified look on your face so I got curious," the King answered as he ran a hand through his wet hair, "that was huge coming from someone like Fushimi."

"Yeah it was," Misaki answered as he glanced over at the people next to him, "what should I say to that?"

"We can't tell you how you're supposed to feel after that, let alone how to put it into words. If you wanna accept his proposal then do it, if you don't that's also your decision." Suoh exclaimed as he asked Anna to get the box of films she had been so keen on watching. The skateboarder sighed in defeat as he picked up his phone, debating on what to say for a moment before he finally put his fingers down on the screen.

 **To: The Monkey o(-.-)o**

 **Thanks for telling me all of that...I forgive you, Saru. I wish I would've known all of this but that doesn't matter now, I'm glad you told me any of it. I hope you're happier there than you were here, I mean that.**

 **I got a ton of new video games you have got to check out next time we're on good terms, you're gonna be in heaven! ^^**

Misaki smiled to himself as he locked his phone and laid it on his chest, leaning onto Mikoto's shoulder as Anna played one of the films from the whole Basashi incident, something that caused the three of them to snicker. Eventually Yata's phone lit up again.

 **From: The Monkey o(-.-)o**

 **:)**

Having nothing else to say he tossed his phone onto the couch, cuddling up to his King as the three of them lost themselves in footage from the past. Mikoto caught his eyes after awhile, a knowing look being sent his way as he reached out and wrapped his arm around him, bringing them closer together. He couldn't help but smile.

 _Things had to happen this way but despite everything else...this is all I could have asked for and more...this is all I ever wanted...no this is all I ever needed._ He looked up at the Red King and also at Anna who seemed all too happy to be in that moment and it was a sentiment he shared, _this has become my family, them and everyone else in HOMRA...and this..._ he let his eyes survey the room he knew so well, where all the pictures that couldn't fit in the barroom were placed on the wall with care. Memories from other times, times both good and bad, happy memories and not so happy ones as well. He closed his eyes.

 _This is home._

0o0o0o0o0o

"Mikoto-san, you're smothering me!"

The Red King smiled as he tightened his grip, keeping Yata as close to his bare chest as possible as they lay in their shared bed, legs wrapped around the others, arms tangled around each other as well. Yata desperately tried to break the grip on him but it was to no avail, only when he let go did the skateboarder finally take a deep breath. Even in the darkness of their bedroom he could see the blush that decorated his lover's cheeks.

"What the hell was that for?" Yata whined as he coughed to clear his lungs, the air finally rushing back to them though the King couldn't help but feel like it was over exaggerated.

"You looked like you were having a nightmare," he mumbled as he reached out and brushed the hair out of his lover's eyes, though the amber colored orbs that stared back at him only mimicked that of confusion he lightly tapped his boyfriend on the face.

"I wasn't having a nightmare," Misaki laughed as he reached up to lace his finger's on top of his King's, "I was dreaming we were on the beach and you all of the sudden tried to drown me but now I can see that my brain was just explaining the lack of oxygen thanks to your bear hug."

"It wasn't that bad," Mikoto countered tiredly as he flicked the younger man on the cheek with his other hand, ignoring the cry of protest he got as a result.

"It was! You're strong so to you a hug is nothing but to me it's like you're breaking me in half!" Yata protested as he returned the favor by flicking the King on his nose, much to his dismay. Mikoto reached up and pushed him off of him, sending the man flailing onto the mattress with a yelp of shock. He quickly flipped over so he hovered over him, their bodies only inches apart as he leaned his face down until their foreheads touched.

"You act like I do it on purpose," the Red King frowned when his eyes locked onto the skateboarder's.

"I know you don't," Misaki quickly exclaimed as he snaked his arm around the older man's waist, "god, do you think that I think you'd hurt me willingly?"

"Do you?"

"Absolutely not," the vanguard leader proclaimed as he pulled the other man down until their bare bodies touched, he blushed up at the Red King. "But now I'm awake and I don't feel like sleeping anymore."

"Oh?" Mikoto prompted as he trailed a hand up and down the younger man's arm until it rested on his cheek, bringing their lips within centimeters of each other. "Then what do you feel like doing?"

"Don't make me beg," Yata huffed as he trailed his finger's up and down the larger man's back, "you know I love you, right?"

"I love you, too." Mikoto answered with a small smile as his eyes glowed to pierce the darkness, something that so often happened whenever he and Yata were like this, he didn't know how many pair of sheets they burned their way through but he didn't care. Izumo was furious but hadn't made them start buying their own, _yet_.

"You just gonna stare at me?" The younger man asked as he pulled their bodies even closer together, skin brushing against skin as if it would be enough to quell the absolute _hunger_ they had for one another. "This is unfair."

"Teasing you is too fun."

"Tease me in a way that doesn't involve you keeping your hands off me," Yata growled as he arched into the larger body that rested on top of his, "it's your fault you've turned me into this, I don't want to keep my hands off you."

"Who said you had too?" Suoh grumbled dangerously as he kissed the younger mans cheek, lips working up and down the skin surrounding his neck until he latched onto a small space between the collarbone and his shoulder. Misaki writhed beneath him, something that sent a wave of pleasure over them both as their hips finally aligned in the proper way, Mikoto continued to suck and bite at the skin, leaving a fresh marking there in place of his lips when he finally broke the contact.

"Did you just give me a hickey?" Yata laughed as he brought his hands up to the wet place on his skin, "Mikoto...flip us over."

"Huh?" The Red King asked as he leaned up to look his lover in the eyes, "you want to be on to-"

"JUST FLIP US OVER." Yata half yelled half whined as his face turned a bright shade of red, with one swift motion they were settled in a different position. Yata brought his knees down on either side of his King's hips as he leaned down and pressed their lips together for a brief moment, the simple action sent any further self control they had out the window. The skateboarder let his lips trail down until he got to the same place the Red King had left his mark, he moved a bit higher, bringing his lips over his neck as he attached them to the skin there.

Mikoto let out a shuddered breath as his boyfriend got to work, nipping and sucking on the skin there before he placed a delicate kiss on the mark. "That's gonna be highly visible," he noted as he trailed his fingers over the place, something his lover only laughed at.

"That's the point," he giggled as he leaned down so their eyes met, each glowing a bright red color in the darkness of the room, "I want people to know you're mine."

"Keep talking like that and I'm gonna make you mine," Suoh replied with a smirk as he reached over to his bedside table, "are you ready?"

"I've been ready," the younger man whined as he laid his head on the older man's chest, kicking the rest of the blankets off of them in the process, to his surprise the Red King only handed him the bottle. "What?"

"You do it," the older man grinned, "if you want it come and get it, it's about time you did some work."

"Mikoto that's evil," Yata groaned as he buried his face in the older man's chest, "don't...you better n-not look!"

"I won't," he rolled his eyes as he watched the younger man take the bottle in his hands as he sat up, he squeezed a decent amount on his hand before he worked it up to his fingers, even in the darkness he could see the heavy blush that decorated his cheeks.

"S-stop l-looking at me!"

"Why?" Suoh questioned as he propped himself up on his elbows, Yata moving downward along with him. "You're mine, remember?"

"It's embarrassing," the skateboarder huffed as he reached around his back, fingers stopping just short of his own entrance. "I hate you," he declared as he pressed a finger in, leaning down so his left arm caught the rest of his weight, hovering over the Red King.

"This is a good look for you," Mikoto encouraged as he tilted his head to the side as if he was enjoying the view because _he definitely was_ , Yata cursed under his breath as he slipped a second finger inside of himself, when he seemed relaxed enough he dared to press a third one in, hissing momentarily in pain as he adjusted to the width of his fingers. "Do you want me to help?" Suoh asked in a husky voice, biting his lip as his eyes met the pleasure clouded ones of his lover.

"N-no, I just want you," the younger man proclaimed as he removed the digits, quickly grabbing the bottle again as he shifted so he sat downward on Mikoto's thighs. He poured a large amount of lube into his palm before he worked it back and forth, warming it up before he placed his hands around his boyfriend's length, something that made Mikoto groan and lay back on the bed, no longer having the energy to focus on sitting up as his lover worked skillfully around him.

"Yata..." he warned as he rolled his head to the side, eyes locking on the younger man's as he sent him a warning, "come here." Misaki did as told, crawling his way over to him as he purposely dragged his torso against him. Mikoto feverishly crashed their lips together, making mental notes of how he could taste the tea the younger man drank before bed and the taste of mint that came from the toothpaste they both used, there was another thing there that could only be described as something so deliciously _Yata_.

Their battle for dominance soon ended as the smaller man allowed the King to take the lead, their tongues no longer battled but danced to their own tune as Misaki reached around them, slowly, _agonizingly_ so, brought his hips down until Mikoto's length was completely covered. They both shivered at the sensation, hips moving in unison as they parted only to take breathers from the kissing as they let their bodies do the talking.

Yata rocked on his hips and Mikoto met every movement with one of his own, finding it completely impossible for him to lay still and not put any effort forward. They bit their lips to keep quiet when air became a necessity, but it soon became an after thought as their tongues met again, their movements becoming erratic as Misaki snapped his hips forward a few times while Mikoto rolled his until the younger man moaned softly, urging him to repeat the motion. He didn't need any further coaxing.

As their lips parted for easily the hundredth time Mikoto brought his palm to his face, wetting the skin with his tongue before he reached for his lover, something that made the smaller man whimper softly. It didn't take too long for the pressure in the King's stomach to become unbearable, with every movements ripples of pleasure fell over him and with every kiss the taste of mint clouded his senses, with his other hand he ran a hand through Yata's sweat covered hair, reveling in the sight as they both bucked their hips forward one more time before euphoria hit them both.

They called out each others names, holding their position for as long as they could before the smaller man collapsed on top of him in exhaustion, panting quietly as they regained their breath. Mikoto wrapped his arms around him, hands running up and down the smaller man's skin as he placed a trail of kisses along his forehead, something he would never do to anyone else but the man in his arms.

Suoh had realized when he and Yata first got intimate that he was really good at having sex and absolutely horrible at making love, he also learned that there was a huge difference between the two. With sex he hadn't cared how his partners felt during their escapade, but with Misaki that was different, he wanted everything to feel even better for the younger man than it did for him, he didn't want to rush just to get off either. He wanted to savor every moment, every kiss and touch that was offered and every feeling that was being with the person who had captured his heart.

In a way, they had learned it together, which Mikoto felt only made the two of them a stronger couple despite the many flaws they had. Despite what the day had in store for them they always knew how to make it better, for them sex wasn't just a way to blow off steam, it was a way to send worries packing and to let each other know they didn't have to do anything alone, it was a silent communication that offered them peace of mind. Suoh doubted he'd have it any other way.

"I love you," he exclaimed as he stroked the brunette's hair over and over again, a soothing action he always did whenever they were finished.

"I love you too," the skateboarder mumbled as he snuggled up to the Red King, "should we take a bath? I feel gross," he laughed.

"Yeah probably, I don't want to sleep like this," Mikoto chuckled as he sat up, keeping Yata pressed to his chest as he swung out of bed, eyes going back to their mattress as he noted they actually managed not to singe anything that time around.

"Bubble bath?" Misaki proposed with a giggle as the Red King sat down on the edge of the bathtub, turning on the hot water as he pulled the stopper over the drain.

"If you want," he answered with a smile as he tightened his hold on the smaller man as he made a grab for a bottle of vanilla scented soap Anna typically used. He poured a huge amount in the tub, much to the younger man's pleasure though he did comment on how there would be a _fuck ton of bubbles._ As they waited for the water to fill the tub Mikoto continued to hold him flush to his chest, hand still raking it's way through the brunette's hair delicately.

"Misaki?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I wanna marry you," Mikoto chuckled as he looked down at the man in his arms, simultaneously shutting the water off behind him. The younger man blushed furiously as his eyes grew wide.

"W-what?" Yata stammered as he gawked at his King, something Suoh rolled his eyes at.

"Don't make me repeat it," he grumbled under his breath, as much as he hated to admit it he felt his cheeks grow hot as the silence between them dragged onward.

"Are you really asking or are you just saying that?" Misaki stammered out as his King stood up before stepping into the bath, dragging him into the water along with him, bubbles wrapped around their skin in the process.

"I'm asking," Suoh clarified as he glanced down at the younger man, noting how watery his eyes looked as if he hadn't been expecting him to be serious but was relieved that he was.

"Do you even have to ask? I'd be the happiest man alive," Misaki mumbled as the tears finally spilled over, "fuck, I already am the happiest man alive...but this..."

"So yes?" Mikoto smiled as he ducked his hand in the water several times to clear it of soap before he brought it up to his lover's face, wiping the tears away. Misaki nodded his head repeatedly.

"Yes," he confirmed with a large grin, "fuck, Mikoto I love you."

"I love you too," he breathed out as he brought their lips together in what he swore was the most passionate kiss they've ever shared.

 _I never thought I'd fall in love with someone, let alone ask someone to spend their life with me but then you came along. I take things for granted and I'm not the most kind person on the planet but I've been so blessed,_ Mikoto thought as their lips separated, though their forehead remained pressed together. _I want to make you the happiest man alive so I can be the luckiest one in return._

0o0o0o0

 **May 30th, 2013**

"What do you wanna do, Mikoto?" Izumo smirked as he grabbed his lighter, eying Seri from across the way as they stood on a helicopter platform that rested far above Shizume, the stars in the sky shied away in comparison to the two brilliant and pristine Swords of Damocles that hung in the sky.

"Burn them," Suoh replied as he let his gaze rise to stare at the symbol of his power. The cracks on the bottom had begun to fade into old scars, the color had fully returned to the hilt and the red dragon-like scales that used to crumble and break were now complete and impending. The gem in the center glowed a vibrant crimson. His resting Weismann level? 25. Activation level: 55. He was the epitome of health, the very personification of hellfire, and he had only one opponent in his sights. Reisi Munakata.

"C'mon Anna, let's go," Tatara exclaimed as he dragged the young girl away from the scene, much to her dismay. Mikoto turned his head back and sent her a smile to quell her worries before returning his undivided attention to the clan in front of him.

"Suoh Mikoto, I thought we were starting to become friends," Munakata laughed as he drew his sword after his clansmen unsheathed theirs, beside the Blue King Saruhiko twirled a throwing knife around in the air threateningly as he locked eyes with Yata.

"Save that kind of talk for someone who gives a shit, Munakata," Suoh answered with a look of boredom, "everyone go, take this to the streets. Yata, stay."

 **"** **NO BLOOD! NO BONE! NO ASH!"**

"Everyone, advance after them! We will advance with our swords in our hands, we'll triumph because our cause is pure." Munakata countered as he pointed his sword in the direction of the Red King, "Fushimi, stay."

"I'm not a dog," Saruhiko groaned as he turned so he was back to back to his King, the other members of Scepter4 fled the vicinity then, in search of the members of HOMRA who had already vacated the area. Yata pressed his back to Mikoto's to mimic their opponents.

"Ready?" Suoh asked as he glanced back at his vanguard, Yata only beamed at him in response, "kick his ass."

"You're finished, Saruhiko!"

"In your dreams, Crow."

Mikoto watched the two of them engage in a split second, Yata flying past him in a blur of blazing red while Saruhiko's Aura pulsated like waves in the ocean, though nothing was being held back he couldn't help but notice that the usual malice in their battle was missing. Something he could only shake his head at.

He held his fists up, eyes daring the Blue King to charge, which he did without a moments notice. Every swing of a fist or sword was heavily practiced, rehearsed to the point of repetition though each bout presented a new bit of danger as they eventually let their movements become erratic and unpredictable, still they both stood completely unscathed.

"Suoh, you have got to stop taking out Yakuza every day, I'm going to have to arrest you if you keep it up." Munakata dared as they clashed again in sparks of red and blue, his sword rested on the Red King's forearm.

"And let you have a day off? In your dreams. You sound like you don't want to arrest me," Mikoto grinned as he sent a punch into the Blue King's abdomen with his free hand, something that only pushed him back slightly, though during that time a swipe of another sword nearly threw him off guard. Saruhiko spun on his heel as he gave his King time to recover, Yata came flying in after him, metal rod in his hand flying towards the Blue Clansmen while he sent a punch of his own into Saruhiko's arm, causing him too to slide backward.

"Don't interfere!" Misaki cried out as he let a kick fly forward, red tearing the pavement up in a move of defiance against the Blue's actions.

"Mi-sa-ki!" Fushimi hissed as he poised his sword, charging forward as Yata spun backwards on his skateboard retrieving his weapon in time to block the swing of the blade.

"You let your guard down," came an abrupt interruption as Munakata appeared beside him, managing to scrape his blade against the Red King's cheek, something that sent his Aura flaring. Munakata poised the blade at his neck, something that caused the other two who were clashing to stop their fight, watching the Kings in favor of each other.

"So I did," Mikoto stated in his usual bored tone of voice, "you gonna take my head off for it?"

"As tempting as that sounds I think I'll just give you a warning this time, stop this senseless fighting. Next time I will incapacitate you and haul you off to prison," the Blue King commanded as he pressed his blade onto Suoh's skin.

"You act like I'm not doing you a favor," Mikoto sighed, mind racking as he tried to find a way out of his current situation, "the Yakuza are annoying, I take them out and prevent crimes from taking place, are we really so different?"

"I suppose not but the problem is you only take them out when it's convenient for you," Reisi exclaimed with a heavy exhale, "give me a reason not to take your head as a prize tonight."

"I thought you said you wouldn't?" Mikoto chuckled darkly as he turned his head to look over at the slightly younger man, the blade dug into his Adam's apple, "was that a lie, Munakata?"

"No but I want to hear a reason why I shouldn't, the longer we stay here the more tempting it becomes." The Captain exclaimed as he pressed the blade in a bit harder, drawing a trail of blood out. Mikoto sighed again as he saw his chance, he pressed his neck further into the blade to shock the other man before he swiftly kicked the front of Munakata's knee cap, making him stagger forward, the blade rising from his skin in the process. When his footing faltered the Red King swept his leg around him and connected with the back of the other King's knees, causing Munakata to fall backwards. He quickly went down with him, his own knee resting on the Blue King's elbow as he held a flame covered fist to the other man's temple, blood poured down from his wound and dripped onto the once pristine Scepter4 coat.

"I'm getting married on December 7th, I can't die before that," Mikoto said smugly as he watched the Blue King's face shift to something akin to shock.

"Married? You?" He laughed at the prospect, "Yata-kun has truly made you grow soft."

"Quite contrary, he knows I'm a King, he accepts the duties that comes along with that and he understands that my life may be fleeting at the rate I go. Knowing that I haven't had to change at all," Mikoto corrected as he lightly wrapped his knuckles against the other King's temple. "Give me a reason not to kill you."

"I couldn't be at your wedding."

"That's one less mouth to feed."

"Can you two cut it out?" Yata seethed as he put his free hand on his hip, "can we just call it a day? You're both too worked up since this has been our first real fight in six months. The occasional skirmish doesn't count either."

"Captain he's right, I hate to admit." Fushimi groaned as he crossed his arms, his sword resting on his shoulder, "just give them a warning and let's go. We have a lot of work to do anyway, we don't have time for this."

"Well Suoh, it seems they've come to an agreement, what will you do?" Munakata questioned as his purple eyes locked onto those of amber.

"Fine, but don't think I'm happy about it," Mikoto mumbled as he rose to his feet, not offering to help the Blue King to his. "Yata, call it off."

"You got it," the skateboarder replied as he pressed his watch close to his face, "enough for tonight boys, the Kings have come to an agreement."

"So Suoh, you and Yata-kun are engaged?" Reisi asked as he stood up and dusted off his coat, frowning at the patch of blood that stained the material. Mikoto's wound ceased bleeding the moment his Aura seared it.

"Ah."

"Congratulations," Fushimi offered to Yata as he sheathed his sword at the same moment the skateboarder placed the metal rod back on his belt loop.

"Thanks," he answered with a small smile before he looked over to his King, who nodded his head in understanding. "Saru, can we talk for a second?"

"About what? I told you I didn't want to talk about that," Fushimi groaned as the air grew stagnant.

"Not about that Monkey, it's something else," Misaki whined as he shook his head.

"Just say it here then," Saruhiko answered with an annoyed look as he checked his phone for what everyone else presumed was for the time. The two Kings watched the exchange silently.

"Uh...well...if we can call an alliance for when it happens then I...I want to know if you'll be a part of it," Misaki said awkwardly as he scratched the back of his neck.

"What do you mean?" The Blue Clansmen asked as he raised an eyebrow, hands resting on his hips.

"I mean...will you be my best man?"

Saruhiko's eyes widened.

"You want me to be your best man?" He questioned in need of clarification, something the Red Clansmen could only nod his head at.

"If you don't want to I understand, we aren't exactly friends...or enemies...but I just thought it was worth a shot and I wan-"

"I don't see why not," Fushimi interrupted with a click of his tongue, "but between now and then if I kick your ass don't change your mind or else I'll kick it again."

"Really? You're awesome, Saruhiko!" Yata exclaimed as he excitedly threw his arms around his _friend's_ shoulders, something everyone gawked at. Sensing the awkwardness he quickly released him, mumbling an apology under his breath in the process.

"Well I guess that means you'll be proposing an alliance in December," Munakata chuckled as he glanced over at the Red King who watched the other two interact with a look of amusement.

"Ah."

"December seventh? Such a peculiar day, I'm surprised you picked that one."

"It wasn't my idea, it was Tatara's," Suoh answered as he stuck his hands in his pockets, "I'm not the kind to plan these things, you should figure that much."

"You never were the romantic type," Munakata recalled with a smirk as the rest of Scepter4 and HOMRA came back to the rooftop. "Well, like we did a year ago we will be allies on that day, only if we get invitations."

"Izumo would kill me if Seri couldn't go and Yata obviously wants Fushimi there so I guess that's a given," Mikoto mumbled as he glanced around the area, "just don't annoy me or say something stupid when it happens."

"I won't make any promises," Reisi replied as he approached his clansmen, Yata came over to join up with the rest of the Red Clan. "And stop making such a ruckus around the city, I don't want to jail you."

"Yeah, I can't make any promises," Mikoto mocked as he turned to face his clan, "bye Munakata."

"Bye for now, Suoh."

0o0o0o

 **December 7th, 2013**

"Fuck, I'm so nervous," Misaki whined as he shifted his weight awkwardly, watching Anna walk down the isle as she tossed red rose petals from a basket, _and she looks adorable._

"You're gonna be fine," his mother exclaimed as she tightened her grip on his arm, "Mikoto-san loves you, that's all that matters."

"Thanks for being here with me, mom," Yata exclaimed as he realized it was his turn to go. No cliché music played per their request but everyone in the room stood, causing his stomach to churn as the doors swung all the way open, exposing him to the crowd he had been watching through a small crack in the door.

"Let's go," his mother smiled as she practically drug him down the isle, he nervously glanced at the faces in the crowd. Most members of his clan and Scepter4 along with a few friends they had outside of their group, but when his eyes locked with Mikoto's everything else in the room seemed unimportant. They hadn't dressed extravagantly, Yata wore a pair of dark skinny jean-like slacks and a black dress shirt with a red tie wrapped around his neck, red sneakers to top it off, and his hair was down like he wore it a lot of the time.

Mikoto on the other hand wore the same kind of outfit with his chain still attached to the belt loops on his pants, though he wore a black suit jacket it wasn't buttoned up, his black boots topped it off and his usual jewelry was still present as well. It wasn't lavish, but they hadn't wanted it to be, it was awkward enough, though it made them both happy beyond what words could describe. Before he knew it he stood at the end of the pews and Mikoto had come down from the steps to take his hand, he shook slightly as he looked over at his mom.

"Take good care of my boy and keep him out of trouble," she chuckled though tears slid down her pale cheeks, "welcome to the family, Mikoto-san."

"Thank you, I promise I'll do what you've asked of me," the Red King smiled as he offered his hand up. Misaki's mom placed her son's hand on his with a huge smile before she kissed his cheek, "I'm so proud of you, Misaki."

"Ready to do this?" Suoh asked through a smirk as he led the younger man up the stairs, he could only nod his head in agreement, finding words too hard to come by in the moment. On his way to their place Yata's eyes caught Saruhiko's, the Blue Clansmen offered him a small smile. As they took their spot the pastor read aloud a testament of love though neither paid it much mind, their vows had been exchanged in private in the privacy of their own home, something they both agreed would be more comfortable for them. Yata didn't need anyone else to hear how much he loved the man in front of him and vise versa. Neither were overly romantic, they had wanted a short and simple ceremony and that was exactly what they got.

"Suoh Mikoto, do you take Yata Misaki to become your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do."

"Yata Misaki, do you take Suoh Mikoto to become your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do."

"By the power vested in me by the great nation of Japan I now pronounce you partners for life, you may kiss."

Yata beamed.

 _As if we need an invitation._

0o0o0o

"Suoh Yata Misaki, kinda has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" Said man exclaimed as he and his new husband managed to get away from the mass of people that came to HOMRA for the reception, if only for a moment. Mikoto had him pinned against a wall in their bedroom, eyes locked in a heated glance.

"It's perfect," the Red King proclaimed as he pressed his lips to his lover's forehead, "are you happy, Suoh Yata Misaki?"

"The happiest," he promised as he brought his hand up to the older man's face, admiring the way the ruby and silver ring on his finger glowed in the light. Mikoto smiled down at him in earnest, a true smile that showed no worries or cares, a look that was saved only for him. "And how about my husband? What does that make you?"

The Red King pressed his lips to his briefly before he rested his forehead against Yata's. He laced their fingers in the process, rings clinking together as they stared deeply into each others eyes. Their smiles never faltered, nor did the increased beating of their hearts. Mikoto announced his answer without a shred of doubt.

"The luckiest...and it's all thanks to you."

0o0o0o0o

 **IT'S OVER. *Curtain falls***

 **Thank you all for reading and I hoped you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. 3**

 **See you all next time around, hopefully. ;D**

 **Fun Fact: This actually ended up being thirteen chapters, so we will just say it's too commemorate the original thirteen episodes of season 1. That's a coincidence!**


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